


Eos Nuggets (And Other Space Adventures)

by Jkit45



Series: Nuggets of Space Adventure [2]
Category: Mass Effect: Andromeda
Genre: Alsotitled:, Coraandryderarebros, F/F, Fluffy Feelings, Idiotsinlove, Theyseriouslywouldntlastadaywithoutvetra, Vetraandryderaresoinlove, Vetrabailsryderoutoftroublealot, dontmakeitweird, jkit45, keepcalmandsharebodyheat, pleaseenjoymyselfindulgentdrabbles, seechapter7fortheporn, thiscrewisabunchofclassclownsandilovethemall, wlw, yepiwroteporn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-25
Updated: 2018-09-20
Packaged: 2018-10-23 22:07:31
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 33,965
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10728228
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jkit45/pseuds/Jkit45
Summary: A collection of drabbles centering on Vetra/FRyder (And the rest of the crew as they goof off). Some serious, some angsty, mostly lighthearted! (Might not be in order as we go along). Please enjoy!Chapter 12: The Camping Chapter





	1. Eos Nuggets

 

Hey guys! I always swear off fanfic and then something like RyderxVetra comes alone making me want to write it. This is going to be a collection of drabbles, some angsty, some serious, most goofy. Hope you guys enjoy!

I own nothing. And this might not be written in chronological order. **Possible spoilers** , so be warned!

Not really a romantic one to start, just pre-relationship bonding.

 

**Eos Nuggets**

              Of course the chickens got loose.

              Of course.

              Ryder seriously questioned her role as Pathfinder at times like this. A nearly in tears asari professor who was supposed to be the sole charge of the unruly birds yelled out her apologies. Ryder wasn’t mad, mildly annoyed maybe. Here she was, sprinting after a hen which slipped through the wire fencing after an Eos windstorm blew an alien tumbleweed through the coop. Sand in her mouth as she took in a breath, it filled her sneakers and hit against her pant legs.

_Not really dressed for this charade today, are we?_ Tended to be how shore leave worked—always something came up. And they were never dressed for it. And sometimes not dressed at all—that was in Scott’s case. He was the twin who didn’t like to wear clothes.

              The chicken slowed, and Ryder took her chance. She got low, catching the hen by the leg as she did with the backyard chickens at her childhood home. She frantically beat her wings, and Ryder shushed her, _“Easy there.”_

An old memory of her nanny, Maddison, shouting at her and Scott to get them back into the coop before coyotes came. Warm Alabama wind on her face. If she closed her eyes in the heat of some of these planets she could feel like she was home.

Another flap of sandy wings, sending grains into her open mouth. She closed her eyes in disgust. _Are you fucking serious? Left the farm for this, Ryder?_ Some voice in her mind told her. That was the idea of enlisting after all: to leave the farm. Her mother’s family hobby farm was passed down to them. Ryder spent most of her life there until she enlisted when she came of age. Supposed to get away from all this chicken chasing shit. Go up to the adventures of serving in space as both her parents did.

              Ryder pulled the hen forward, “You’re okay, you’re okay. Going home. Nice, safe.” She muttered as she tucked the frightened chicken under her arm, supporting her underside with her opposite palm. The chicken quieted as she held her, stroking her soft red feathers. Ryder hacked and spit the sand from her mouth, onto the ground. Maddison would have had her hide for doing that.

              Peebee chased another escapee down with as much vigor as she did remnant, ending up tripping over herself and rolling with the chicken through the sand, giggling while holding her against her chest, “Ryder, I love these nuggets!” She cried out, still on her back, trying to hug a hen who didn’t want to be hugged, “What is it?”

              “A leghorn. A layer. This is a Rhode Island Red, I think.” Ryder patted the chicken she held. The initiative packed the genome of several different breeds to make the trip, giving new farmers options to choose from on arrival. “Let’s just gather them up before the wildlife out here gets dinner.” Ryder told her.

              “I promise. I promise this has never happened.” The asari professor cried, rubbing her eyes, placing a rooster into his separated pen, “Twenty years of teaching human agricultural theory, raising human livestock…. I can’t believe I embarrass myself like this in front of the Pathfinder!”

              “No hard feelings.” Ryder told her, still stroking the hen, “Had chickens growing up.” She supposed they weren’t on the clock. Apparently the most impressive way they could get her crew to interrupt their Podromos shore leave was to set some chickens loose and have the perfect excuse to get to hold animals most of them had never seen.

              Ryder stepped to the coop door. It was hastily patched with fresh wire from where the tumbleweed pushed a hole in the bottom. Cora sat, giggling, stroking a chicken which remained an arm’s length from her. The woman startled, “You alright, Cora?”

              “Oh, yeah. Fine.” She said, straightening as if she’d just been caught in some infraction, “I’ve…I’ve just always wanted to see a farm animal in real life.”

              Ryder had to duck to make it through the tiny door. She handed the red hen down to Cora who took her with shaking hands, “Have fun.” Ryder left her second in command with the birds.

              “These nuggets are fast.” Jaal told her as she passed him. He held another red hen.

              “Legged-horned nuggets are the best nuggets.” Peebee said to her hen, bringing her up to the coop, “You going to share, Cora? Never knew human livestock could be so cute.” Peebee shoved herself into the enclosure with Cora, practically in the human’s lap as she tried to occupy the same space.

              “Don’t asari have poultry?”

              Jaal held the hen over his head with one large hand, using the other to examine her legs. The chicken flapped away from him and he took off after it. _Nuggets?_

              Liam smirked, leaning against some of the shipping crates. He wore jeans and a faded t-shirt, raised his beer bottle at Ryder when she caught his eye. She smiled back. “I think that’s all of them. Vetra and Jaal have the last two I see.” He snickered as Vetra returned with a captured chicken in hand. _What’s so funny, Kosta?_

“Uh…Ryder.” Vera’s tall shadow crossed her, mandibles twitching the way turians did when they were uneasy. She held a chicken as far from her body as her arms would reach—understandably uncertain about the whole ‘handling alien birds’ thing, “I can take her from you, Vetra.”

              “Wow…You handle nuggets well.” The tall woman told her.

              Ryder snatched the hen from Vetra, “What is this ‘nugget’ thing?” She said, louder than she meant to. Liam’s snickering turned to laughter.

              “That’s…What? Isn’t that what this animal is called? Liam said—“

              “Liam! What is wrong with you?!” Ryder shouted.

              He didn’t hold his laughter anymore, pounding his fist on the container which he stood against, “It’s not incorrect.”

              “Oh, can it, Kosta.”

              “What are they?” Vetra demanded, looking confused. Maybe it was embarrassed. Turians were hard to read like that.

              “They’re chickens. Used to have them when I was a kid. They’re not called ‘nuggets’.”

              “I call them ‘nuggets’.” Liam replied.

              Vetra’s subvocals made a chattering sound which Ryder’s translator didn’t pick up. She assumed it was something unkind toward Liam.

              “So that’s what a chicken is! I’ve heard of these!” As if it were some great revalation, “Must’ve lived on a planet, then.” Vetra replied.

              “Earth. Yeah. Mom liked to have some farm animals around—tradition and all. Even though she wasn’t home much.” Ryder said, “Her grandparents had livestock and she wanted to keep it going.”

              “Well, don’t tell Sid. We won’t get her off Eos, or out of the coop for that matter.”

              “Don’t know we’ll get our people out of the coop.”

              Vetra paused, “True.”

              “Hey.” Ryder reached out, she squeezed Vetra’s fingers, “It’s shore leave. Make sure you take some time for yourself.”

              The turian glanced down at her hand after Ryder released. Her mandibles flared again, “Uh…Thanks. I will. Yeah. You too, Ryder.”

_______

Hey guys! Thanks for reading. Been working a lot so just wanted to get one drabble done and posted : ) let me know what you all think.


	2. Ice Breaker

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Ryder has to plunge into ice water and scares the hell out of Vetra.

Hey guys! Thanks for all the reads.

Here’s the next drabble. This one is a little more angsty.

This takes place after Vetra’s loyalty quest but before Kadara.

**Ice Breaker**

              The angara lady wasn’t going to last much longer. Ryder might not have been a doctor, but she had been a lifeguard as a teenager. She’d attended classes about the dangers of hypothermia and water rescue. Though she never went over the best way to get someone out of ice on an alien world, Ryder was confident enough in at least her swimming abilities if this went south. _It’s cold. You’ve got to hurry it up here, Ryder_. Angara being adaptable to cold or not—being stranded in ice water wasn’t conductive to health. “Please…Help…me…” The lady called out, desperately clinging to the edge of a ragged chunk of ice.

She made sure her response sounded clear and together: “Just try to grab on.” Ryder drew back and tossed the weighted rope.           

“She’s getting weak.” Vetra observed. The turian stayed in a tense crouch at the edge of the ice.

              “I know.” Ryder said, and then shouted to the stranded woman again: “It’s okay, wrap it around your hands, we’ve got you!” She did as she was told and they pulled her from the water, dragging her prone body several meters across the ice. _Just a bit further, keep holding on._

But luck didn’t seem to be a thing on Voeld today. The terrible squealing sound which ice made when it was compromised. A poorly placed kett grenade on a relatively warm spot on the planet had been a bad combination for this poor scout and her snowmobile. She was just lucky Ryder and her squad happened to be driving through the area.

              “Hang on!” Ryder shouted, sinking to her thighs in fresh powder snow and pulling with Vetra behind her.

              The angara screamed and the thick ice shattered around her. She plunged in. Ryder rushed the edge of the lake. _She’s dead._ But by some stroke of determination the woman emerged from the water. Her purple head resting on the freshly broken chunk of ice as she coughed and shivered.

              “We’re not getting her out this way.” She told Cora as she lifted the rope again, “Keep trying. We have blankets. SAM? Can you get the heat blasting in the Nomad?”

              _“I strongly advise against what I believe you’re planning, Pathfinder.”_ She clawed her chest plate off and then released the clasps of her armor, she ignored SAM’s warnings about water temperature and human physiology. The cold knifed through the open seam. The spandex suit she wore below her armor did little to protect her from the air. _At least there’s an active vault now. Shouldn’t lose any limbs if we’re quick enough._

              “We’re not letting her drown. Cora, get my armor?”

              “You’re kidding right now?” Vetra shot at her, mandibles flared out, “You’re not kidding right now?” Eyes wide and pupils restricted to tiny nervous slits.  

              “I’ll be fine. Just promise you two will get us both to somewhere with a fireplace after.”

              “What if you fall in?” Vetra asked her, voice flanging, higher pitched than normal. The turian tested the ice with one foot and yanked back almost immediately, as if she’d been burned, “It won’t hold you!”

              Ryder clawed off her utility belt and the rest of her suit, “I’m coming! Hang in there! I’m coming!” The angara didn’t respond. She lay slumped across the ice sheet.

              _Shit!_

 _“Ryder.”_ Vetra’s sub harmonics made a whirling noise which Ryder didn’t understand.

              Ryder wrapped the rope around her waist and thighs, quickly tying it off, “I should be doing this.” Cora stated, but Ryder ignored her.

              “You’re sure you can swim?” If it wasn’t a turian speaking Ryder would have taken offense.

              “I’m sure, Vetra.”

“Please…be careful.” Her mandibles clenched in tightly. Ryder got on her knees, then to her elbows and cringing as she eased her belly onto the frozen lake, feeling the ice rattle beneath her. She crawled, every part of her burning from the cold. Out of corner of her eye she saw Vetra crouching, leaning as far as she could over the ice without touching it to feed the rope to Ryder.

“Cora’s getting another rope.” Vetra’s subharmonics rattled.

              “Hey! Hey!” She shouted at the angara.

              _Oh fuck, it’s cold out here._ A searing gust over her back. She reached the angara and gripped her cold wrist. She lifted her head. Wide blue eyes staring into hers.

              “RYDER!” Cora, who apparently was thinking much clearer than she was, tossed the second rope. It landed beside her. Ryder reached for it, freezing her movement as the ice shuddered.

              “We’re gonna be okay.” She muttered, reaching again, clenching her teeth. She caught the rope, and then slid herself closer to the lady.

              “It’s….it’s…cold.”

              “Keep talking to me.” Ryder said, looping the second rope around the lady’s body under her arms and doing her best to knot it with shaking hands. The ice shuddered. She rose her arm, slowly, trying to give signal to Cora and Vetra to pull them in.

              A snap and groan of the ice and Ryder was drenched, water pouring over the top of the sheet and soaking through the thin, stretchy under suit.

              Ryder watched the angara begin to slip, too exhausted to keep herself from going under. _Gonna be cold._ Ryder lunged forward, grapping the woman around her waist while the ice chunk split and overturned on them.

              “RYDER!” Vetra’s and Cora’s voices a gurgle from beneath the surface of cold water. The rope tightened around her waist and she clung to the angara. It felt like the air had been forced from her lungs by the cold.

              She realized she’d inhaled water and banged her head and back against the ice reflexively, trying to come up. Strong hands wrapped around her arms. Vetra stood in knee deep water, yanking her from below the chunk which she’d gotten trapped under. They’d managed to pull them back to shore.

              “Ryder!” The turian dragged her back to the snow and tossed a blanket over her. She groaned, coughing and coughing and unable to get her breath back. Her hands and feet were numb to the point of painful.

              “V….Vet….tra…” She coughed and coughed, “Is…the angara…okay?”

              “Come on.” Vetra pulled her to her feet. She half carried Ryder, and when she struggled with shaking limbs into the back of the nomad, Vetra lifted and nudged her into the backseat.

              “Drive, Vetra! I’ve got her.” It took Vetra a moment to release her bicep.

              Cora smacked her leg as she curled on the seat, halfway on top of the other frozen angara lady who Cora had managed to lift into the back, “Get…her warm.” Ryder ordered.

    “Get you both warm.” Cora said, slamming the door and pulling Ryder’s blanket from her. She cried out in protest.

     “Cora.”

     “It’s soaking wet. Here!” A new one spread over her. The nomad begun to move.

     “Ryder!”

     “What?” She groaned. She was tired, so tired and cold and wanted nothing more to curl up and have a nap.

    “Is she okay?” Vetra’s voice flanged.

   “Mmhm….Good.” Ryder said. Maybe she should ask Vetra to come back here. Come and nap with her. Were turians warm to the touch like humans were? Her hand had felt a bit warm on Eos.

    “Just drive, Vetra!” Cora barked.

   “Guess I know…what it’s like…”

  “You know what what’s like?” Cora asked her. Ryder was tired, she rested her eyes for a moment, curling in on herself.

Knuckles hard on her sternum, “Ow! Cora!”

“What’s what like?”

What were they even talking about? “Like ….ice.”

“Christ, you’re a hot mess, Pathfinder, you know that? You have any idea how cold it is here?” Cora said, and Ryder heard her shouting at the angara lady somewhere distantly.  


**

              She came to with a gasp, then cringed at the bright light, “Easy, easy.” Lexi’s voice was soothing, her hands warm on Ryder’s cold face. The light was bright, too bright. She kept her eyes closed, “Do you know where you are?” Lexi asked her, tapping her cheek lightly, “Ryder?”

              “Oh…Fuck.” She groaned. It was cold. Her teeth rattled in her mouth. Something warm was on her chest.

              “Remember how you got here?”

              “Did I pass out?”

              “I think you checked out a bit. Vetra said you were awake on the ride home, worried about Cecea.”

              “The angara.” Ryder paused, shifting herself, “Is she?”

 Lexi’s hands came to her shoulders, “Lay still, I’m checking you for frostbite. You are incredibly lucky that you were this close to the outpost for this escapade.” Ryder obliged, trying to open her eyes again and glancing around. Lexi swabbed her arm, “Relax, Ryder.”

“Sorry. Cold.” She said through clenched teeth. Her hair was a wet mass around her head, wrapped in a towel.  She looked around. They must have been in the Voeld outpost’s medbay. She didn’t recognize it.

“She’ll be alright, by the way. Some angara happened to be here. She’s stable and being rushed to their doctor at the resistance headquarters. A few moments more of that and she wouldn’t be so lucky, but in general her body is better set up for the cold than yours.” Lexi injected her with something.

“What?”

“It’ll help you warm up.”

Ryder didn’t question it, “Cora and Vetra? Where are they?”

“Had to chase Vetra out of here a few minutes ago, she was upset and not wanting to show it. Sounds like seeing the ordeal was nerve wracking. Needed to be sent on a walk. Cora went to get you some dry clothes.” Ryder’s hands went to her chest. She realized she’d been dressed in a paper gown beneath the blankets and heating pad they wrapped her in, “It looks like you lucked out. No lasting damage, but I wouldn’t advise trying that again.”

She closed her eyes, “Vetra nearby?” If she was upset Ryder needed to see to her. Beyond that, having Vetra around was incredibly soothing on its own.

“She’s out in the outpost. I could probably flag her down.” Lexi nudged her, “Would you like me to get her?”

“Yeah. If…If you…don’t mind?”

Oh fuck, why was she being so awkward?

Lexi smirked and didn’t stop her from sitting up this time, heading for the door and calling for Vetra. The towel fell off her head. Ryder reached up to touch her cold, damp nest of hair. She grit her teeth and ripped the rubber band free of the snarls, “Well look at you.” Vetra said, she stood in the doorway, arms folded.

“Don’t look too hard, wouldn’t want you to pull something.” She muttered.

Okay, that was a horrible joke, but Vetra chuckled, “Looks like you’re feeling better. That was bad even for you, Pathfinder.” She sobered, “Are you okay?”

“Yeah. Thanks for getting us back here…and for having my back in general.”

“That’s what I’m here for.” Vetra said, “Hair still frozen?” Though her body language looked stiff. She still clenched her mandibles as if she was nervous.

“Thawed now.”

“Ah.”

“Are you okay? Not too cold?”

“Tends to be an occupational hazard on Voeld.” Vetra shrugged, “But yeah, I’m good. But please let’s not play on frozen lakes anymore.”

Ryder adjusted herself, pulling the blanket a little tighter around herself as a chill went through her, “I can get behind that.”

Cora showed up, knocking on the open door, “Come in!”

She came through with Liam behind her, “Heard you went for a swim. Care to invite me next time you have a beach day?” He quipped.

“Only if you bring a six pack.” Ryder muttered. Cora set down a folded pair of sweats and a sweatshirt over the blanket covering her legs.

Vetra backed off from her bed, muttered about checking something on the Tempest and disappeared from the room. Liam followed close behind the turian.

Cora shut the door for her while she stood up from bed, facing the wall while she changed. Ryder frankly didn’t care all that much where she looked, “thanks for the clothes.”

“No problem.” Cora said, “Vetra was the closest to losing her shit I’ve ever seen her when we got you back here. Didn’t realize you two were that close.”

Ryder was glad that Cora had turned away now, and that she was struggling with her hair stuck in the sweatshirt so the woman wouldn’t see her blush, “Yeah, we’re friends. Helped her get Sid away from the Meriweather freak.”

“I’ve had a couple turian friends over the years. Never got one to wade into an ice lake after me. They can’t swim so they tend to avoid water when it’s too much to drink. Was ‘fraid she forgot she couldn’t swim for a second there.” Cora said.

“Maybe you never put it into practice.”

She yanked on the sweat pants and wedged her bare feet into the replacement pair of boots Cora brought her. Her xo laughed, “Uh-huh. Could be it. But listen, Ryder, it’s a small ship.” Whatever that meant. Ryder decided to keep her mouth shut. Thankfully Cora switched gears: “Let’s get the hell out of here. Hear the weather’s a bit better at Kadara Port.”

 

Thanks for reading. Leave me a comment : ). Cora totally is onto this entire thing but not saying anything.

 

             


	3. Kadara Nights

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> (Reyes and Ryder slack their way through a not badass night in Kadara; Ryder recounts the ordeal to Vetra in the morning. Ft. a cameo by SloanexKaetus Also Ft: Vetra and Peebee attempting to cut human hair)

Chapter 3:

Hey guys. Another kind of goofy chapter. I love Reyes and Sloane both. My Ryder is a little lesbian hot mess goofball, and after replaying the Kadara party scene I really wanted to write something about it (especially her and Reyes chumming it up a little more as buds).

Still pre VetraxRyder relationship.

This is long but I had a blast with it. Hope you guys enjoy it. This isn’t exactly cannon dialogue wise but I didn’t feel like copying word-for-word from the game.

This is also a total crack chapter. If that’s not your thing feel free to skip it. I tried my best to keep them in character through this whole ridiculous situation. I’m pretty self-conscious of this chapter so any constructive criticism/comments are super appreciated. : )

Also if you picture your Ryder with short hair she’s described as long haired throughout this. Sorry! I’m trying really hard not to make any specific Ryder description in this but it was relevant to the actions in this chapter.

 **Some Kadara Spoilers**. **Non-graphic sexual content. Coarse language.**

**(this might need some editing, just a heads up. Also i'm trying to fix formatting issues with my computer and AO3).**

**Chapter 3: Kadara Nights**

(Reyes and Ryder slack their way through a ~~not~~ badass night in Kadara; Ryder recounts the ordeal to Vetra in the morning. Ft. a cameo by SloanexKaetus Also Ft: Vetra and Peebee attempting to cut human hair)

 “Hey, Vetra. How’s it going?”

 “Ryder?”

 “…Good morning?”

 Vetra sat at a table in an outdoor café stand in Kadara, a cup of steaming coffee in front of her and a data pad in her lap. Ryder cringed as she gripped her hair. The charred strands crunching under her fingertips, “How was the party?” Vetra reached for her coffee, “I see your hair is…different than… when I last saw you.”

 It was down and snarled, not the neat ponytail she’d originally brushed it into.

  Ryder settled into the chair across from her, “It was…It was good.”

 “That didn’t sound too convincing.” Vetra took a sip of coffee, “From the looks at you I’m guessing it was an interesting night.”

  “That’s one way to put it.” Ryder rubbed the back of her neck, “Can I ask you something?”

 Vetra’s eyes flicked up at her, “Sure, Ryder.”

She turned around, lifting her damp, sticky hair from her neck, “Is the back of my neck red?”

 “A bit…?” Vetra raised her voice at the last word, as if she were asking a question with her answer. The turian set her coffee down while making a whirring sound, “What the hell happened to you, Ryder?”           

  “I need to sit down a minute. I drank more than I’m used to last night.” She sat, pressing her face into her palm and stretching her legs out, “Seen Reyes?”

  “No. Are you in trouble?” Vetra asked her, now glancing around.

 “I’m not in trouble. I just owe Sloane some towels and candles.” A long pause between them. Ryder’s heart beat harder as she realized exactly who she spoke to, “I didn’t…I don’t mean for you to get them. I just…Need to get them, at some point. Soon. Think I have some in storage on the Hyperion.” _Oh fuck, of all people to see you like this you find Vetra having her breakfast._

  “Just some towels and candles. The usual thing you owe people after a party.” Vetra took another sip of her coffee, “She’s not going to shoot you for whatever you pulled? Didn’t burn your hair, did she?”

   “No. She didn’t. It’s a long story.”

   “Knowing you, I bet it is. Just candles and towels? Not booze.”

   “Almost an adhi but I saved us from that.” Ryder grumbled, “I need an aspirin, fuck it’s bright out here.” She shaded her eyes with her hand.

    "Those burns must hurt, Ryder, I’ll walk you to the ship. Let’s see Lexi.”

  “No, not too bad, just a little irritated.”

  _“It’s blackened.”_ Vetra lowered her voice. The low warning voice.

  “What—oh, my hair. It just needs cut off—“

  “Do what?” Vetra’s mandibles clenched, “You… cut hair?”

 “Yeah. It keeps growing so you cut it.” She muttered and held the ends of her hair, scowling at the curled, charred bits.

 She let Vetra nudge her out of the chair and sweep her into her wake as she marched them back to the docking bay, “So how was your night, Vetra? Were you able to meet up with those traders—“

“Ryder. How did your hair catch fire?”

**_10 hours earlier …_ **

Ryder stood, leaning against the cool wall, trying desperately not to look too out of place. She wasn’t going in without Reyes, and she wasn’t fond of standing around with everyone being able to take in the view and decide they recognized her as Nexus.

 “Looks like you’re waiting for someone.” A familiar voice.

“Was about to bail. Thought you stood me up. You sure know how to leave a girl waiting, Reyes.”

 “I’m sure you’ve left a girl or two waiting in your day, Ryder. Adds to the mystique.”

 “Yeah, yeah.” She grumbled, letting him do the talking to get them into Sloane’s living space. Thumping of the bass in the music rattled the sheet metal flooring, bright colored strobes set up in time with the beat. Ryder entered the room alongside Reyes, stepping through the sea of moshing people.

 “You like it?” He asked her, shouting over the music. It reminded Ryder of any one of dozens of seedy bars she’d visited: loud, smelly, and lots of people.

 “Yeah.” She replied. The truth was: Ryder didn’t have much of an opinion on it. Just another bar. With somebody who she didn’t know well but wanted to know better as an ally. Reyes wasted no time in introducing her to a pretty angara lady named Reema. They hardly had a chance to start talking before Reyes walked off on her.

 “Excuse me.” Reyes bowed his head in farewell when they made eye contact and pushed through the crowd.

 “Where are you going?” She called after the man, but he winked at her, and assured her he would be back soon. Or at least Ryder assumed that from lip-reading.

She stood awkwardly for a moment, unsure what to do, until she found herself pushed up against Reema by a group of dancers. The two of them talked about nothing important for several minutes till they were equally bored of shouting over the noise and pretending to be interested in chatter about the weather at the port. Reema walked off to see someone else, leaving Ryder once more to her own devices.

She looked around, catching sight of a tall figure. She smiled and hurried over to her, “Vetra!” She cried out. The turian whirled around as if startled.  

“Ryder!” She looked down at her and softened her body language, “Hey, you.”

“Didn’t know you were coming!” She shouted over the music, feeling at ease. Without much thought she shouted the same thing she would seeing a human friend at a party: “Dance with me!”

Vetra raised her eyebrows. Ryder reached her hand out, “I don’t dance, Ryder.” Vetra said, but she took Ryder’s hand dutifully.

“Me neither.” She said. “What are you doing here?” Ryder figured they were committed to dancing at this point. Even if Vetra was sweet and pretty and oh-so tall she had to play it off. Keep going the way she would with anyone else. _Casual._

“One of my contacts invited me. But it’s a bit loud for my liking. Do we have to dance?”

“Well, we don’t have to.” Ryder said. She put Vetra’s hands on her shoulders and held the turian’s elbows and swayed them back and forth.

“Think I can handle this.” Vetra told her, laughing lightly, “Afraid you might have wanted to do something like that.” With her head she motioned to the hired asari dancing in set up cages, grinding their hips, showing incredible flexibility as they flailed their limbs and contorted their bodies.

“Think I might hurt myself if I did that.” Ryder said, and Vetra laughed again. She was timid, gentle. Resting her hands on the shoulders of Ryder’s V-neck, careful to curl her talons away from her.

“I don’t know I could look myself in the mirror if I did that.”

It was Ryder’s turn to laugh, “Come on. They are good dancers.” The turian glanced over her shoulder, “You okay? You look nervous.” Ryder said. Maybe she shouldn’t have said that to Vetra. Maybe one day she’d learn to control her filter.

“Looks like my guy just walked out. Better catch up to him.” She gave Ryder’s shoulders a squeeze before pulling away, “You didn’t get ditched here, did you?”

“No.” She answered. Ryder highly doubted Reyes left her, “Be careful, Vetra.” No matter how much experience Vetra had negotiating with her criminal contacts, Kadara was a rough place.

“You too. Want a walk back to the Tempest before I go?”

“I’m good, thank you.”

__

             

 “So I should have walked you home then, is what you’re saying.” Vetra quipped good-naturedly.

Ryder sat with the towel draped over her shoulders, seated on a chair which they’d found folded beneath the vidcom console. Peebee stood behind her, “You’ve done this before, right?” She asked the asari.

  “Yes.” Peebee answered, picking up the hairbrush.

  Vetra stood, her arms folded while she watched the two of them. Jaal was behind her as he’d caught wind of a ‘human haircutting ritual’ and wanted to observe because his mothers had ‘many questions about the differences of head ornamentation of humans’.

   “I’m still partial to getting Lexi.”

 “No. It’s just hair, Vetra.” Though apparently turians didn’t tend to grasp the concept of humans cutting their ‘fringe’ well. Ryder was actually partial to getting Cora, who maintained her sharp haircut on her own (but SAM said Cora was asleep and Ryder already had enough of an audience for hearing about how stupid her night was).

   The asari ripped the brush through the crunchy strands, “Ow! Fuck! Peebee!”

  “Sorry, sorry, sorry. Apparently burnt hair doesn’t brush normally.”

  “Please don’t rip it—ah! Peebee!” She yanked the brush through again, “I want to have hair left after this--”

  “I’m only taking a few centimeters.”

   “I mean leave it attached to my head.”

  “It can detach?” Jaal leaned forward and frowned.  

 “It’s not supposed to.” Ryder muttered, “So you used to hang out with humans? That’s why you can do this?”

“Uh no…I’ve seen some vids.” Peebee shrugged, trying to get the brush through and ending up getting it caught in a particularly bad mess of snarls.

  “So you’ve never done this—ow! Stop!” Peebee stepped away, leaving the brush stuck in her hair.

 “Okay. This is painful to watch.” Vetra stepped forward, advancing on Peebee and Ryder.

 “Trust me, I’ve got it.” The asari protested.

  “I don’t think you’ve got it, Peebee.” Her headache was down to a dull throb, but having her hair pulled wasn’t helping, “I’ll do it myself.”

 “No, you don’t want it to be uneven and I want to hear the story.”

  “Well, god-forbid I don’t get the story told.” It came out snarkier than she meant but Peebee wasn’t put off.

  “Yeah! Exactly! It’s a win-win!” The asari exclaimed. Vetra used her height to get Peebee to step back from Ryder without saying anything.

  “Okay. Let’s get the brush out of her hair first. May I, Ryder?”

 “Yeah. Yeah go ahead.”

 “So you still haven’t told us how your hair caught on fire.” Peebee said. She leaned over the vidcom console with her elbows and rested her chin on her hands.

\--

 _Well, that went over like a lead balloon._ Ryder marched away from Sloane begrudgingly. _Be civil, enjoy the party, yeah, yeah._ She clenched her fists, feeling more awkward than anything. Where the hell had Reyes gone off to?

 _Make sure Kaetus has better control over the guest list, next time, Sloane. Spare us both the awkward._ Nonetheless, the turian hovered around Sloane like an uncertain guard dog. He scanned the crowd, turning his head slowly back and forth before taking another position in front of his boss and scanning again.

Someone brushed against her as they walked past—a sweaty human man. She shuddered and saw a door out of the back of Sloane’s ‘throne room’. Ryder took her chance and marched through.

In the relative coolness of the hallway, she took a breath of relief. Away from the mosh pit, at least. Reyes nearly bumped into her as he was returning to the party, “What are you doing?” Ryder whispered through her clenched jaw.

“Nothing…Nothing, just business. I need your help.”

“What?” She followed him into a storage closet. Crates upon crates of food were stacked up, many of which she recognized as stolen from Nexus shipments—freshly stamped initiative logos graced the sides. Ryder didn’t take long to figure out what was going on, “You…You brought me here as a distraction to talk to your friends so you could go through Sloane’s stuff—“

Reyes opened his mouth as if he was going to say something, but the sound of heavy footsteps. _Shit._ Someone was coming up on them. “ _Hey! Who’s in there?”_ A call from down the hallway. This was definitely a place she didn’t want to be found.

Ryder didn’t think, she gripped Reyes' jacket and kissed him, letting out a loud moan, “Oh, babe, we’re gonna get caught.”

The man got the idea, he pulled her on top of him over one of the crates, placing his hands on the side of her face as to conceal her identity. Ryder, still pressing her lips against his, did the same with her arm against his cheek.

“Oh!” The guard startled, slamming the door with the barrel of her gun as to gain their attention. Ryder squealed and turned her head away, “Get a room, you two. Beat it!” But from the way her voice carried, it was clear she was already continuing on her rounds.  

\--

    “SO! That’s what happened!?” Peebee sang, “You kissed a man against your nature and it caused your hair to burst into flames.”

   “Yes, Peebee, that’s what happened.”

    _“Pishaww!”_ She pushed up from the console, “Makes sense.”

   Ryder laughed, cringing as Vetra carefully tried to untangle her hair from the brush, “Sorry.” The turian said, “Am I hurting you?”

   “You’re doing well.” Ryder stated, “Better than Peanut-Butter over there. You know people used to put peanut butter in their hair to get gum out?”

 Vetra made a disgusted noise. She had surprisingly nimble hands, working her hair free strand by strand until she was able to get it to lay down as neatly as she could around her shoulders, “Maybe I should….uh…cut the burnt pieces off and then even it up when it brushes nicely?”

 Ryder was a hundred percent sure Vetra had never done this either, and didn’t protest when Peebee took the desk scissors from her, “I cut you comb?” Peebee suggested, and Vetra agreed to it. The asari conservatively begun to trim the burnt bits.

 “Careful! Don’t quick her!” Vetra hissed.

  “My hair doesn’t have a quick. Not like your nails.” Turian talons hurt and bled if cut too short. Similar to many animals from earth.

  “Still hurts to watch.” Vetra observed.

 “I want to know how this hair injury occurred.” Jaal, sitting on another chair they found, scooted closer, “You haven’t finished your story.”

  If there was one thing Jaal loved: it was a good story.

\--

Ryder pushed herself off Reyes, “Ryder?” He asked.

“We’re never speaking of this.”

He stayed leaning back on the crate, smiling and then laughing, “So I can’t tell people I kissed the Pathfinder?”

“No. You can’t. I’ll punch you in the balls if we don’t get out of here.”

“Whoa.” He covered himself mockingly while he got to his feet and elbowed his way around Ryder, climbing up on one of the crates to reach a top shelf. He pulled out an ornamented metal bottle, “Whiskey. Six-hundred and forty-five years aged to perfection!”

“You came here to steal her liquor?”

“Not just any liquor.” He held the bottle out, just close enough for Ryder to read it. It was a top shelf human brand. The same kind Alec drank and let her and Scott taste as children at holiday parties. _Only a bit, dunk your finger. Just one, Scott! Don’t tell your mother!_ A familiar tingle on the tip of her tongue as the memory came back to her.

She smirked despite herself, “You’re going to share that, right?”

Reyes grinned at her, “that’s the spirit! Let’s get out of here!” He shoved the bottle into his coat.

They sat together for a while at one of Reyes favorite spots: an overhanging balcony attached to one of the shipping yards, watching over night on the port. Unfamiliar Andromeda stars twinkled above them, city lights glowing below. If she closed her eyes and breathed the air enough here, she might forget where she was. Back in an old dive bar in Alabama, a seedy restaurant on the Citadel. All of that was lifetimes away from her.

They drank straight from the bottle. Ryder preferred her beer over whiskey, but it reminded her a bit too much of home to stop: _to you, dad. To me being a mediocre pathfinder in your footsteps!_ She forced down an uncomfortably big gulp, shaking her head with her tongue out as it burned down her throat and made her stomach churn.

“Man up, woman!” Reyes snatched the bottle from her and took a long swig, “ _Hooph_!” He called out, pressing his lips together.

 _Should’ve brought something to chase this shit._ Ryder felt warm across her chest, her head fuzzy. She blinked—trying to clear the feeling without success. _Should’ve fucking ate something._ He offered the bottle again, Ryder shook her head.

She felt her liquor a little harder than she wanted to already, and it seemed that Reyes was too. His face flushed and he fidgeted, “So, want to see something cool? To make up for me leaving you at the party?”

“Ah.” Ryder could use a walk to help her sober up, “Sure. Is it really awesome?”

“Oh it’s…very awesome.”

He offered his hand to help her stand up and motioned her to follow him back toward Outcast controlled buildings.

\---

“Empty stomach! At-a-girl!” Peebee shouted. Ryder sensed that Vetra was disappointed she couldn’t chew her superior out about irresponsibility. The turian sighed behind her, as she’d taken over the scissors from Peebee and cut such timid miniscule amounts Ryder wasn’t sure how they were going to have the haircut finished before night cycle came around. She didn’t have the heart to take the scissors away from the alien women both trying desperately to be helpful, and knew from experience her skill at cutting her own hair was pathetic anyway.

“It was stupid.” Ryder sighed, “And going back to Sloane’s buildings was really stupid.”

“Hey, now. Remember what you told me about blowing off steam. Happens.” Peebee shrugged, “Give me, give me, Vetra. It’s not hurting her let’s just cut—“

“Peebee.” Ryder warned again while she pulled the scissors from Vetra’s hand.

“Just the burnt stuff. Then brush and even it out.”

“Okay.”

Vetra keened through her teeth while Peebee suddenly got brave, snipping large chunks off. Ryder watched charred bits of her hair fall into her lap, “There we go!” Peebee whistled.

Vetra took the brush, working it through easily with some of the length taken off, “That’s good.” Ryder said, “That’s how it’s supposed to brush.”

“Glad I could be of service.” She said, but Ryder heard the ease in her voice compared to before. The brush glided through smoothly, and Vetra used her talons to arrange it around her shoulders again, “But it sounds like you do, actually, owe Sloane booze too.”

\--

  “Reyes!” She half shouted. They stood in the middle of a kennel filled with young adhi. The medium dog-sized reptilians were caged, and excited about the newcomers. They whined and scratched at the bars, tails beating with excitement. The damp, musty smell of animals.

  “She breeds them. They go through a lot of them since they use them for combat. They’re _nashty_ bastards when they’re grown, but _doshile_ when young.” Reyes told her, partially slurring his words.

  “These are _Shloane’s_.” Ryder did her best to get alcohol out of her voice. Despite her mind churning her limbs were heavy and the adhi were awful damn friendly looking in all their excitement for visitors.

  “This one’s my favorite.” He opened the kennel and the adhi bounded toward him, standing up on hind legs and leaning against Reyes’ legs for him to pet it’s head, “This is Kevin. _Thash_ what I named him just now—or them. Not sure if it’s a boy.”

  “Sloane’s going to kill us!”

  “No one’s s’here at night.” Reyes told her. The adhi got a little more excited when it realized another person was with it. The creature trotted over to Ryder and did the same, claws holding her jeans over her thighs as to support itself. She winced from the points digging in.

  “Hey, bud.” She said, “Hey, Kevin.” She pet its head and it made a gurgling sound which Ryder took as contentment since it wasn’t trying to bite her and leaned into her hand.

“Let’s get you back in your cage.”

Kevin’s head snapped to the side, looking at a scattering noise from the hallway which she assumed was from rodents. Ryder realized a second too late that they’d left the kennel room door open, “Reyes!” But his reaction time was worse than hers in his state. Kevin bolted through the open door and into the hallway.

Ryder tore after it. _Shit, shit, shit._ Kevin paused, apparently startled from being away from its homey cage. She moved slowly, within five steps, then four, three--but the sound of rats scurrying in the ceiling made Kevin stalk around the corner. _No! Crap!_ Kevin paused again.

She took advantage of the adhi’s hesitation. _Please don’t bite me. I don’t need Lexi to have to treat a bite and vaccinate me against every adhi disease!_ What diseases did adhi even have? Ryder made kissing noises at the animal and reached for it. Staring at the ceiling until the noises subsided, the adhi turned to Ryder and butted its head against her hand.

“Okay, Kevin.” Ryder crooned, reaching down and putting her arms around the creature. It didn’t seem to mind the confinement.

“Ryder. We gotta go—“ Reyes said, voice nervous for the first time. She stood up slowly, gritting her teeth at the surprising denseness of the adhi in her arms. Knees were rubbery from whiskey but with Reyes grip on her arms she managed to stand.

 _“Pathfinder, sorry to interrupt your festivities but I detect a presence joining you in the hallway.”_ SAM warned, piping up for the first time that evening.

 Kevin’s back sail smacked uncomfortably under her chin as the creature seemed to be trying to make itself as heavy as possible, “ _Thanks, SAM.”_ She whispered to him.

 _Shit. We’re in trouble._ Whoever they were, they came from the direction of the kennels—which eliminated the option of sneaking Kevin back to the cage. The shadow of a krogan crossed her, “Hell you think you’re doing, Pathfinder?” A voice she recognized as the guard which waited outside of Sloane’s door during certain daytime hours.

“Catching….A loose adhi.” Though, he scowled at them. Ryder heard the sounds of the riled adhi still in the cages around the corner.

“Sloane. I got an issue here.” He said into his radio, “Sloane? Some fools were messing with the adhi.”  

Ryder swallowed. _This is going to be a mortifying PR crisis._ _Just pray you don’t get shot._ “Should we put it back?” Ryder asked, “It got loose and I grabbed it.”

 The krogan answered by shoving her in the opposite direction of the room. So Ryder clung to Kevin like a security blanket while Reyes stalked along beside her. The adhi squirmed and she almost fell over but the krogan steadied her with his grip on the back of her shirt.

 “Sloane? I’m bringing something you’re going to want to see to your quarters. Sloane? Come in?” It didn’t seem the krogan got any response, so he begun to radio Keatus.

Ryder glanced at Reyes, who looked a bit more relaxed than she felt. He said nothing to her.

The adhi was dead weight in her arms. Ryder grit her teeth and was determined to hold onto it.

The krogan grunted, taking them up a private lift, through a key-pad operated bulkhead and pounding on a metal door beyond it. This wasn’t the normal room where she would meet with Sloane—this was another place, further into the Outlaw base. He didn’t wait for a response before barging through, “HOLY FUCKING HELL THIS BETTER BE IMPORTANT!” Sloane shrieked from inside. Ryder cringed.

“Oh! Ma’am!” The krogan spun out the door as quickly as he had entered, “My apologies!”

Sloane’s voice low and venomous from beyond the wall, “You wait for. A. Fucking response. Before. You. Open. The. Door.” The shouting spooked Kevin who thrashed in her arms. Ryder clenched the adhi to her chest.

“I’ll…I’ll be back—“

“Get in here!” Sloane ordered, the krogan reached and gripped her arm.

“I uh….found them…messing with the adhi.”

Sloane lay back in a claw-footed bathtub filled with foamy bubbles. Keatus, looking like he was desperate to disappear into the wall, wore nothing aside from the towel he held in front of his groin with both hands.  His mandibles flared straight out and stayed there. A vanity table with several lit candles cast a flickering light across the dark room. _This is her fucking bedroom_. Ryder’s stomach churned. If they hadn’t done enough to get shot already, this guard was working his damnedest at it.

“Uh…Hi…Sloane.” Reyes said.

“Oh, shut the hell up! Ryder, what the fuck are you holding?” Sloane propelled herself out of the tub, indifferent to not having clothes.

“It….uh…it escaped…”

“Oh, I bet it did.” Sloane growled, “How many did you set loose?”

“Only that one!” Reyes answered quickly.

“So let me get this…let me get this fucking straight!” Sloane, wet and soapy, ripped her robe off its rack and stuffed her arms into it, “Let me get this straight, fucking straight. You idiots get fucking shit faced after I tolerate you in my evening. And then you….for some reason…decide…let’s go fuck with Sloane’s animals?” Ryder opened her mouth but Sloane whirled around, turning toward the krogan now, “Where are those new guards you hired? Where were they? How did this happen?”

“I…I…”

 “You go get them in here right now.” The guard just about tucked his tail between his legs as he hustled out the door and slammed it behind him.

“I should fucking shoot you right here, Ryder.” She said. And Ryder was nervous and not sober and had a heavy, squirming adhi in her arms. Kevin thrashed one last time and Ryder tried to sidestep to rebalance herself, instead her knee gave out with another whack of adhi sail into her nose. She was tumbling, Kevin leapt from her arms. She hit the vanity and the wobbly legs rattled, her cry caught as a pile of the lit candles fell on top of her. Ryder blocked her face with her forearm.

“Fucking idiot!” Sloane growled. The woman caught her by the back of her neck and heaved her to her feet. She slammed her into the side of the tub and shoved her head under before Ryder had a chance to stop her.

 _She’d going to drown me!_ Tipsy or not Ryder thrashed against her. Sloane released the pathfinder with surprisingly no resistance and Ryder slumped to the floor, trying to wipe the soapy water from her eyes, “Your hair was on fire. God. Nexus. Idiot.” Reyes used his boot to stomp out the fire started on one of the folded towels beneath the vanity. He delicately set the fallen candles back onto the surface, and Ryder cringed as she saw one had broken in half.

Kaetus, now with the towel wrapped around his waist, leaned down to scoop up Kevin with one arm, “I’m…I’m gonna…Put him—“

“You’re not going anywhere. Send him back with the guards after I chew them out.” Kaetus froze, “Ryder. Get out. Get the fuck out. Get out of my sight. And don’t come back. Both of you. Interrupt my night again and you’re both shot here. Dead. On the floor. And I’ll call the Nexus about it myself.” Maybe Sloane and Kaetus were just as embarrassed as they were. Ryder stuck with that explanation.

She and Reyes muttered their apologies and shouldered each other out of the way to get through the door. Her hair, freed from the ponytail by Sloane’s manhandling, dripped soap water down the back of her shirt.

\--

  Peebee leaned back on the console, giggling, “That’s good! That’s real good! Makes her less intimidating somehow. I like it.”

  “No, we were just lucky she was distracted…in the middle of things… or else she would have shot us.” Ryder grumbled, Vetra hummed in agreement, brushing her hair still. The two of them managed to finish cutting and swore up and down it looked great although Ryder was yet to see it in a mirror.

  “But still.” Peebee quipped, “You know my feelings of Kadara but I guess, at least…” She trailed off, “I don’t know where I was going with that.” She flopped back and stretched her limbs.

“What happened afterward? They give you trouble on the way out?” Vetra asked her.

“Reyes and I sat and talked a bit and sobered up and then I walked into you in the café when morning came along.”              

“Well. Shit, Ryder. I’m glad you don’t owe her an adhi.”

“Tell me about it.”

Vetra gave her hair one last stroke with her fingers, “Why don’t you tell us how that looks?” Both the women had nervous smiles.  

 Peebee handed Ryder the mirror she’d been holding. The ends were cut unevenly, as they’d used the scissors vertically rather than horizontally. The ends were feathered, but it didn’t look bad. Much nicer than she’d had her hair cut in a while. She grinned and turned her eyes up at the women in front of her.

“Oh, it’s nice, guys. Thank you.” Ryder reached up and touched it, gathering it up and using the brush and the rubber band around her wrist to secure a ponytail.

“Good. Glad you like it.” Vetra said.

Ryder felt something warm in her chest. Her crewmates were the closest things to family that she’d had in weeks and it was hard to put in words, “Also. Thanks for not making fun of me.”

“Well. Give it some time.” Vetra said, seemingly smirking (God, turians were hard to tell, but she knew Vetra pretty well at this point).

 Jaal stood, “I haven’t promised anything.”

“It’s a good story, you gotta admit.” Peebee giggled, following Jaal down the ramp.

“Vetra.” Ryder stopped her before she walked away, taking advantage of the minute alone they had, “I want to thank you again for always having my back, and I’m sorry I’ve been a pain lately.”

“You. A pain?” Vetra scoffed, not unkindly, “You should hear the stuff I get from Sid.”

“No. I have been. If you ever need anything at all Vetra, I want you to know I have your back too. And Sid’s back. I meant it when I said I care about you.” And she knew Vetra wasn’t good with words when she said things like this. Her mandibles flaring out was enough. Ryder bent down to sweep up the bits of her burnt hair with the towel.

“Thanks, Ryder. I don’t get that a lot.”

_\--_

_Huge thank-yous for reading my crack chapter! I really like how it turned out but at the same time I’m unsure. I tried to keep everyone in character as much as I could given the circumstances of the evening. One of those things that just popped into my head while I was drinking and alas I had to write it._

_Comments appreciated!_


	4. To a Fault

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vetra is injured on Elaaden, Ryder tends to her.

**Thanks for all the reads and kudos and comments : ) y’all are great!**

**This chapter is a little more serious (Also not super well proofread so feel free to point out mistakes).**

**Chapter 4: To A Fault**

**(Vetra is injured in a skirmish on Elaaden, Ryder tends to her).**

_We really, really shouldn’t be here._ Ryder grit her teeth, and Jaal tightened his grip on his rifle. _We really, really should have brought Drack._ But with the Morda situation pacified he was in New Tuchanka playing politician with his own people. Ryder hardly blamed him.

              But this group of krogan seemed far less friendly than Morda’s—and that was a stretch on it’s own. Vetra stood to her side. They’d scattered out of one firefight against a group of pirates coming off a shuttle, and into this cave in the aftermath. _So much for a place to cool off._

“You think you can just come here? Onto our property? And bring a flap head and a turian with you?” Jaal cringed beside her but stayed quiet. Vetra remained stone still.

              Ryder noticed a slight lean in her stature, “Hey, sorry. Got into a bit of a pinch. We’ll be right out of your way.”

              But they ignored her, “Hear your kind tastes pretty good, turian. We could fillet you right here and try it out.” He advanced at Vetra, leaning around Ryder. The taller woman held her ground. Ryder swallowed, her mouth dry.

              “Mind your manners. She’s a pathfinder.” Vetra’s tone equally venomous. But something was off in her body language.

              _Shit! Is she hurt?_ Vetra’s posture was wrong. Ryder tried to watch her out of her peripherals. She leaned to the right.  

              The krogan laughed, “She’s not the one who’s bleeding.” He got closer to Vetra, and Ryder stepped forward.    

              “Why don’t you get out of her face?” Ryder spat, unable to think about anything other than one of her squad mates being hurt.

              “Because you’re the one who came rolling in here after shooting pirates on our fucking porch.” He turned his rage on Ryder. Jaal held his rifle, covering her. Vetra’s knees quivered. _Oh fuck._ She had never seen Vetra tremble.

              “We’re leaving.” Ryder said. They backed out of the cave, sinking to their collective knees and hocks in deep, hot sand. She shielded her eyes from the brightness of the light with her forearm. The Nomad was a bit of a walk—no thanks to a pirate attack catching them off guard while getting scans on a scourge anomaly. Ryder noticed the burn and projectile marks left on the rocks they dove behind in the moment where they opened fire.

              Vetra shivered again, one leg nearly sliding out from beneath her on loose sand. Out of earshot and sight of the krogan, “Are you okay?”

              “I don’t think it’s too bad.” Vetra let out a breathy laugh, “Didn’t notice until he mentioned it.”    

              Her shoulders remained crooked, her rifle pointed at the ground. A drip of blue ran from her elbow. Ryder frowned.

              _“Gotta watch those turians.” Alec never told them a lot about his work, or even talked to them often for that matter, so when he did she and Scott basked in it (as much as they wouldn’t admit that)._

_Alec never was xenophobic in her experience, so Ryder was concerned for a moment where he was going with the statement, “What about them?”_

_“They usually don’t realize it when they get hurt. Adrenaline maybe. Tough bastards. Keep going almost as long as a krogan will without realizing they’re dead men walking.” Alec took another swig of his whiskey, the holiday party drink of choice, “Loyal.”_

_“Well. That’s a virtue. At least in my book.” Scott shrugged._

_“To a fault with them.” Alec shook his head, “Saw them get themselves killed more than once when they didn’t have to. It’s cultural—the ‘service before self’ is basically religious.”_

Cold fear grasped something inside of Ryder’s chest. She turned to face her turian companion, “Okay, Vetra. How about you put that down.”

              “You’re injured badly.” Jaal told her, and Vetra clenched her mandibles, glancing downward—

              “No! Don’t look at it. We’ve got medi-gel on the Nomad and then we’re getting you to Lexi.”

              “Because looking at it would make it worse?” Vetra asked her, trying to be sarcastic but her trembles giving away her body’s distress.

              “Yes, exactly. You’re going to be fine.” Ryder assured. Vetra let Jaal take the rifle from her hands.

              “It’s nothing, really.” She was completely unconvincing.

              “Vetra you’re bleeding all over the damn floor--…sand. Come on.” Ryder said, and she tried her best to remember pitiful training she received on first aid for non-humans. More or less Vetra’s arms were similar to a humans, at least with joint and bone structure. She stood on her toes. Vetra held the injured limb close to her chest, “That’s good. Keep it just like that. Steady and stable.” The armor over her bicep had been shattered by shrapnel. Hidden mostly by a remaining scrap of singed material was torn royal blue tissue, streaming blood in rivers between the pale protective plating on Vetra’s arm.

              As Ryder nudged a piece of armor a gush of blood which pooled beneath fell on her boots. The splash elicited a hiss from the turian, “Aw shit.” Vetra muttered.

              “You’re going to be fine.” Ryder said again, muttering something else. Looking for something she could fashion into a sling or bandage and realizing all of such things stayed in the Nomad, “Come on.” She arranged Vetra’s good arm to stabilize her injured one, and marched her toward the vehicle.

              Aside from her trembles, and going down on her hocks once as they navigated a sand dune, Vetra made it to the car, “You.” Ryder said, “Vetra. Drink water. Now.”        

              “I’ll get her some.” Jaal said, filling a canteen from the tank strapped to the nomad and offering it out to Vetra.

              Ryder fumbled the zipper of the fabric casing of the trauma kit they kept strapped behind the backseat. Ryder ripped open the package to the dextro medi-gel with her teeth, spitting the sterile paper and uncapping the syringe, “You know….what you’re doing with that thing?” Vetra asked through tight mandibles.

              “Hold still.”

              “Ryder. I’m fine—“

              “Vetra. We have a good drive ahead of us to get to the Tempest. Don’t make me tackle you and sit on you because I will. Now hold still.” Vetra cringed hard away from her and the medigel syringe, “I’ll do it quick.” Ryder assured, “Deep breath.”

              Vetra inhaled and she slid the needle into the largest part of the wound and pressed the plunger. Royal blue blood turned dark as it clotted, and Vetra let out a sigh, “Better, yeah?”

              “Better.” Through clenched mandibles still. Ryder didn’t give her more, instead wrapped her in gauze over the tattered armor. _Field dress. Fast._

              “I told Lexi we’re coming.”

              “Thanks, Jaal.”

              Vetra climbed into the back seat. “Alright...Let’s bounce.” She pressed the ignition and buckled the harness over her chest, “Why don’t you keep talking to me?”

              “What do you want to talk about?”

              Ryder smiled: that was a Vetra response if she ever heard it, “Anything. Just let me know you’re still alive.”

              “Still kickin’.”

              “Good. That’s good.” Ryder hit a dune larger than she thought, the Nomad lurched over the top. Vetra hissed through her teeth, “Sorry, hun.” _Shake the pet name habit already!_

She gunned it across the desert. Heat rose in mirages, tantalizing fake lakes in the wind-carved pits between dunes. A minute of silence, “You okay?”

A pause before she answered, “Yes. You know what would save a lot of time?” Vetra asked her.

Jaal took the bait, “What?”

“Somebody got a knife and a blowtorch?”

Ryder whistled at her brazenness, “Let’s not try that.”  

\--

              Ryder couldn’t bring herself to leave the closed door of the medbay. _Hurt under your command and you didn’t even realize until some krogan bastard pointed it out._

Grains of sand rubbed her skin beneath her sweats. She hadn’t showered yet, rather stayed on vigil. Vetra might have been a turian but she still lost a lot of blood, and Ryder had seen what remained of her arm when Lexi sliced the bandages upon their arrival. It wasn’t pretty.

              _Nothing a bit of medigel and healing implants can’t fix._ She folded her arms and tapped her foot. Liam came up to her, “Vetra alright?”

              “She will be.”

              “Yeah. Lexi will have her good as new. Plate injuries always look uglier than they are on turians.”

              It didn’t reassure Ryder even if it was meant to, “Yeah. So people keep saying.” _Though she was getting a little delirious and quiet on the ride home. Probably medigel. Hopefully medigel._

The door sprung open. Ryder jumped. She walked to the open door and knocked.

              Vetra, sitting with her arm freshly wrapped in gauze, looked up at her, “Come in.”

              “Hey. How are you feeling?” She tip-toed to the cot.

              “Just a bit sore. Nothing bad.” Vetra told her, adjusting herself stiffly. Her eyes looked glossy from painkillers.

              “If you get hurt. Really. Please let me know before we face off with angry krogan.”

              “Didn’t notice it.” Vetra said, “I swear.” Lexi disappeared out the door, tablet in hand, “I’m sorry, Ryder. You shouldn’t have to deal with my stupid ass getting hurt.”

              “Things happen. You’ve dealt with my stupid ass plenty.”

              But it didn’t seem to pacify the turian, she hung her head, mandibles twitching, “Spirits, I should know better to get myself in cover. Could have had the genophage research recovered by now. Sorry to slow you down.”

              Ryder shook her head, “Hey, relax. We’ll get it done. You’re going to be out of commission for a day or two I’m—“

              “I promise I’ll make myself useful here!” She looked like a kicked dog, head hanging, hardly making eye contact.

              “I know you will.” Ryder said, unsure what else to say. Her heart beat hard—tonight she would have to ask SAM about turian culture, but she knew humans sort of. Vetra looked like she could use some comfort. Ryder stepped forward and offered her hand to Vetra’s good one, and Vetra took hers for a moment before letting go.

              “Thanks for…not throwing me off the boat for this.”

              “Whoa, whoa.” Ryder placed her hand on Vetra’s good shoulder, “You are not the first or last injury we’ve had, lady. And you’re not getting fired over it. I’m not sure we even would have gotten off the Nexus without you, being completely honest.”

              Vetra sighed a breath of relief, leaning forward, Ryder carefully embraced her with one arm, “Thanks, Ryder.”

              “I’m glad you’re okay though. Seriously don’t do that to me again.”

              Vetra hummed against her shoulder in agreement, “I won’t.” They didn’t break the contact for a several minutes, Vetra smelled metallic and sandy, her plates were warm and she felt like soft snakeskin where Ryder’s fingers rested between, “I’m really sorry about slowing us down.”

              “Stop.” Ryder pecked her forehead without thinking much of it, and then stopped herself, pulling slowly from their embrace. Vetra, lightly drugged, moved much more slowly than normal, “You have a good night, okay?” She told her, “And stop worrying.”

              “You too, Ryder.” She watched her leave the medbay, mandibles flared out.

              _Shit, you just kissed a turian._ And Ryder was pretty damn happy about that.

\--

              Later that night, safely locked in her room and struggling to type with one hand, Vetra found herself on the phone with Sid. She listened to her sister’s stories from the Nexus and the science labs, all sorts of farming projects which they were worked on for a sustainable food supply. The crop of choice was currently watermelon (which Vetra didn’t understand since it seemed to be mostly water and little sustenance but humans and asari were all about it).

              _“You alright? You sound a bit tired.”_

“It was a long day.” Vetra lied, hoping her arm would have time to completely heal before they returned to the Nexus. Sid didn’t need to see it. She would only worry.

              _“…alright.”_ The sort of ‘alright’ when Sid knew she was lying. Vetra was thankful she decided against being nosy, _“Make sure you get some rest.”_

              “I will.” They signed off as they normally did after their daily check-ins and Vetra leaned back in her chair.

              She returned to the typing struggle, pulling up the human data packs.

              WHAT DOES IT MEAN WHEN A HUMAN KISSES YOUR FOREHEAD?

              About five dozen results of articles from magazines geared toward humans younger than Sid. Vetra frowned, turning off her computer.

              _Nothing, it probably means nothing._

She babied her sore arm, leaning back onto her cot set up in her makeshift room, fluffing her pillow to support her carapace. Ryder was pathfinder, and she was…well…herself.

              Nonetheless, Vetra spent a long time staring at the ceiling.

__

Thanks so much for reading! Your comments and kudos make my day!

 

             

             


	5. All In

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 5: My take on why Ryder agrees to help Sloane when she goes to meet the Charlatan.

 

Sorry it has been such a long wait, my friends! Been super busy with work and just kinda vegging around afterwards!

More Sloanex Keatus

Here’s another slightly angsty chapter dealing with Sloane on Kadara. It’s a bit short but I really wanted to write it. A slightly different take on the High Noon mission. Sorry I just couldn’t kill Sloane, I really liked her as a character (and also couldn’t do it to Kaetus).

**All In**

              Sloane paced, back and forth, checking the radio attached to her belt. Ryder was sure it was on, and working—because static came through when Sloane pushed the button and the green light indicating it had power was visible even from where she stood.

              “I’m sorry about Kaetus.”

              “Yeah. Me too!” Sloane snapped, “He’s hardly alive. They’ll page me as soon as he wakes up. If he does.”

              “He will. He’s a turian.” Ryder told her, and Sloane made a snorting noise at her.

              “Doubt you’d be that brash if it was one of yours.” It was meant to be personal, but Sloane waivered at the end, turning away. Ryder didn’t take it as such. If it was a fight Sloane wanted, she wasn’t getting one from the Pathfinder today.

              “What do you need?” That was a loaded question. But Ryder was thankful her head wasn’t on a spike after the incident with the adhi and the candles so she was willing to help (especially if getting the Charlatan situation solved steadied the political climate on Kadara).

              Sloane spun back around, “I need answers.”

              Ryder didn’t have answers. She hadn’t been on Kadara in weeks, had heard from neither Reyes nor Sloane. In hindsight: the entire port had been the suspicious sort of quiet, “Where are your guards?”

              “I sent them out. They’re needed…elsewhere.”

              Meaning they were either watching Kaetus or hunting the Charlatan, “Okay. So the Charlatan. You have a meeting?”

              “Yes.” Sloane said, “See if their cowardly ass comes out to face me.” She yanked the slide of her pistol so hard Ryder wondered if it hurt her fingers, “And I want you there.”

              “Me?” Ryder sighed, “This sounds like a trap.”

              “You think?” Was she being sarcastic? Sloane was hard to read, “I can’t trust my own people but you. You’re an outsider.”          

              They exchanged a few more words, Sloane telling her reasons for ignoring the Collective for so long, thinking they’d go away rather than cause all the trouble which ended up the case, “This still sounds like a trap.” Ryder was honest upon her story ending.

              “I’m going. And I’d like you to be there.” Sloane replied, staring her straight in the eye, “Who’s that tall lady, on your crew? The turian with the purple colony markings?”

              Ryder blinked, her turn to get bristled, “What about her?” She tried not to sound upset but Sloane seemed to pick up on it—Sloane manipulated people for a living, Ryder reminded herself.

              “I have people, Ryder. I know things.” Ryder wondered what things she could possibly know and how. Beyond flirting she and Vetra hadn’t amounted to anything (not that she didn’t want to change that soon, but it was information to which Sloane was not privy). However, the crime lordess softened, “Imagine it was her, Ryder. What they did to Kaetus…I’ve never seen a turian in that bad of shape and still breathing. That’s where I’m standing. He deserves justice.”

               Her heart pounded. _Is that a threat?_ But it didn’t seem like one. Ryder’s mouth was dry. She forced herself not to think about Vetra’s blood—which she’d already seen too much spill onto the sands of Elaaden a few days prior, “Okay. I’m in.”

\--

              Ryder limped home. The image of Reyes fleeing on his shuttle in her mind. The image of when she’d seen Kaetus, laying unmoving on a cot with Sloane trying to look like she wasn’t fussing over him. She tried to forget it, all of it.

              _Well, that was a terrible day._ She sighed, heading for the shower and hoping some of her stress would wash down the drain with Kadara’s toxic sand. Vetra happened to cross her in the hallway, leaving the kitchen while Ryder headed for her quarters.

              She still wore a gauze armband from her gunshot injury, but stood tall, and had bright eyes (not drugged, half dead as she’d seen on a turian earlier). Ryder pushed the image from her mind, “Vetra.”

              “Looks like you’ve had a long day.” She stepped forward and hung her head. The turian was breathing and very much alive, right in front of her. Merely seeing her was a welcome relief. She reached out, giving Ryder an awkward pat on the shoulder. Vetra didn’t tend to be much of one for physical contact, and the gesture was welcome, “Are you okay?”

              “Yeah…just wasn’t expecting….any of that.” She sighed and turned away.   

              “Reyes owes you his life. And so does Sloane.”

              “He probably wants my head on a spike, is more like it.”

              Vetra sighed, “After all that fun you two had? He’ll get over it.” Somehow Ryder doubted that Reyes would just “get over” any of that anytime soon, but she sighed anyway.

              “How are you feeling?” She asked Vetra.

              The turian shrugged, “Fine. Ready for Lexi to clear me for combat again.”

              “Good. That’s good.”

              “You sure you’re alright?” Vetra pressed.

              “Yeah. I’m sure.” Ryder’s words didn’t sound convincing even to herself. She pushed the image of Kaetus out of her head once more. _What if it had been her?_ If it had been any of her crew, Ryder would have wanted blood. She hardly blamed Sloane.

              _Vetra’s safe and fine._

“Goodnight, Vetra.” She said, turning for her quarters. The turian’s eyes burned into the back of her neck.

              “Ryder.” She cast a final look over her shoulder, seeing Vetra still watching her before her door closed.

              _Shit._ She flopped onto her bed with a lot of warm and fuzzy thoughts which she wasn’t used to having. _Yeah. You have feelings for her. Real ones._ Ryder probably wouldn’t be getting a lot of sleep tonight.

____

              I just wanted to write about this scene in particular for some reason! Sorry it’s so short, but it was a fun little drabble to finish up after a long day at work. Don’t worry, I’m working on a few longer chapters that I think you guys will like!  : )


	6. Good Hands

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peebee and Liam discuss first aid protocols. When Vetra finds Ryder after the battle on Meridian, she knows she's in good hands.

 

 

**Sorry again for the delay! Also, thanks for putting up with my last chapter which was short and totally self indulgent. Hopefully we’re back to some good ol’ fashioned fluff in this chapter. Enjoy it!**

**This is where I think my drabbles are starting to get out of order—so FYI this one takes place after Vetra and Ryder kiss on Kadara. I think the next one I write will take place before that : ) Sorry if it gets confusing!**

**SPOILERS FOR THE END OF THE GAME**

**Chapter 6: In Good Hands**

“Seriously.” Peebee lay in the backseat of the Nomad, sprawled and partially melted from the Elaaden heat, “How does that help?”

              “You don’t just tell an injured person you don’t know what you’re doing.” Liam said, twisting in the passenger seat to face her. Ryder licked her dry lips, tasting the salt of her sweat and hoping a heat induced argument wasn’t coming on.

              To her relief, the mesh roofing of the shade tents billowed in the small oasis ahead, built up beneath some of Elaaden’s scrubby trees. Ryder pulled into the shade and yanked the parking break up, “We need some water. Break time.”

              “Yay.” Peebee groaned, just about rolling out the door. Normally Ryder wouldn’t stroll up to an Angaran camp she didn’t know sniffing for water, but these happened to be Resistance members and friends of Jaal (who sent her a navpoint to meet him there in the first place).

              With their water tanks scorching hot from a run in with a sink hole, it was time to resupply.  Ryder took a moment to bask in the heat. She’d always liked the warmth, and with the monoliths activated it wasn’t near the level of before. Nonetheless—still hot. Not where you wanted to be without water.

              She sighed and marched forward to where a woman manned the water pump beneath the sunshades. Peebee stood in front of one of the air conditioners which fought a useless battle in the open air, but felt good to be near nonetheless.

              “Ryder.” Vetra said, stepping from behind the filtration machine.

              “Pathfinder!” Jaal boomed, “Glad you could make it!” He buzzed back and forth, talking to angara and Ryder’s crew about the comfortable changes in the planet’s climate.  

              “See! Vetra!” Peebee called, “We’ll ask Vetra!” She realized Liam and Peebee hadn’t dropped their first aid conversation.

              “Oh dear. Here we go.” Vetra stepped forward. She was barefoot in the hot sand. Ryder considered her own feet tough but apparently had nothing on the protective plates of a turian. She leaned down to brush grit off the thigh of her sweatpants. They were rolled past her spurs showing slender, muscular lower legs. A tank top which was too long for her and knotted at her hips. Strong arms and shoulders which Ryder realized she’d never seen uncovered. She averted her eyes back to Peebee, trying not to look like she was staring. _Damn she’s beautiful._

              “What are you doing here?” Ryder cleared her throat.

              “Helped them install some ground radar parts for their pumps. Easier to find water.”  

              “You were just injured. We need you to settle something.” Peebee said as if she was terribly exasperated.

              Vetra tilted her head to the side. Her left hand traveled to the mostly healed, blue scabbed wounds on her bicep, “What is it?” She didn’t sound amused.

              Liam spoke up, “The person doing first aid should always act like they know what they’re doing even if they’re unsure. It comforts the victim until professional help arrives—“

              “Yeah, yeah.” Peebee cut him off, holding her palm up to his face.

              Ryder ignored them for a moment, the angara woman refused her payment attempt, “on the house. For your crew mate helping me install the tech.”

“thank you.” Ryder said, “That’s very kind.” The woman again waived her off. She started the pump. Water sputtered from the faucet, clear and sweet smelling, into the metal basin. They filled their canteens.  Ryder gulped from the bottle, stopping only when the cold headache forced her. She relaxed in the breeze churned out by the conditioner, cooling the sweat on her skin.

              “Well. Yes. That makes sense.” Vetra answered once the three of them had their fill of water, “In my experience: rarely happens.”

              Liam’s face twisted, “Heard merc doctors aren’t reputable—“

              “They’re basically butchers. Don’t want to talk about it.” Vetra didn’t seem flapped, but Ryder struggled to swallow her most recent sip. She tried not to think about it and what experience Vetra had with such a situation.

              “I’ve heard.” Liam repeated. He had actually functioned as an EMT in his past career, so Ryder didn’t doubt his knowledge on the subject of field medicine.

              Peebee lay sprawled on her back in the sand, holding up her canteen, “Don’t worry!” She lowered her voice, “You asked for a medic, but I’m an ACADEMIC RESEARCHER!”

              “But at least you’d help them—“

              Peebee, far heat exhausted and slap happy beyond serious conversation, cut him off again, “You asked for a medic. You got a researcher and a turian merc who’s afraid of needles.”

              “That supposed to be me?” Vetra asked.

              “Well, you are.” Peebee made a popping sound with her lips.

              “At least I let Lexi near me.”

              “That is fair.” Peebee lifted her canteen again as if giving a toast.

              It surprised Ryder that Liam had nothing to quip back, but then she looked up to see him standing over Peebee about to pour some of the hot, stale water left in his backup canteen on her head.

              She smiled, turning around when she heard the asari squeal and scrambling footsteps from the two of them.

              Vetra was a sight for tired eyes. Since they kissed on Kadara, they hadn’t discussed how public their relationship was. Ryder decided it was best they took some private time to work that out before she did anything here.

              But damn, her girlfriend was tall and athletic and beautiful. Ryder chewed her lip, “You look good.” She muttered, low enough to stay between them.

              Vetra did her mandible flare which Ryder was almost convinced was a blush, “I kind of like Elaaden.” The Pathfinder continued, letting her eyes move up and down Vetra once more, “Beautiful. Hot.”  The turian stuttered out something about having to be practical in the weather and Ryder grinned, “I like it.”

              She got distracted by Jaal, who motioned for her to come over. Ryder started walking. In a moment Vetra was at her side, walking backward, “We could. Have a different kind of drink later. If you have a few minutes tonight where I could steal you.”

              Ryder stopped, feeling herself grin, “I’m down for that. I don’t know about turians, but there are all sorts of old human myths about a pretty girl waiting with a drink of water to offer.” Ryder said. Vetra, barefoot, stopped short of the sand where the shade met the sun. Ryder smirked at her, “Be still my heart.”

              Vetra might have said something else but Peebee, damp and sandy, wrapped her arms around Ryder’s neck, “Don’t worry!” She patted Ryder’s chest, “You asked for a medic. You’ve got a researcher. And a merc. We’re here to help.”

**_Several Weeks Later…_ **

              Vetra nearly tore off the door to the armory, “We can’t just go out there!” Liam cried at her, “We need to stay with the ship.”

              “The ship is fine!” She hissed back, ripping out a rifle from her locker and slinging it over her shoulder along with a belt of heat clips. Vetra yanked the strap over her chest, “She’s in there with the Archon, and she’s hardly standing after the Remnant City!”

              Liam didn’t fight her anymore, “I’m coming with you.”

              Drack and Cora were with her on Meridian, a desperate fight for Scott and their future in Andromeda. Vetra knew the odds were against them, especially Ryder, with the condition she was in. Nonetheless, she’d been managing push onwards.

              Vetra wasn’t comfortable to continue to test those odds, “They’re getting overrun. We need to back her up and then get her out. Both of them.”

              “Just promise me you won’t do anything stupid.” Liam told her, and it bristled her. She wanted to spin on him and shout something back-- about how dare he insult her experience in tight situations. As Vetra turned she saw the fear in his eyes, and her anger sagged like a balloon.

              She sighed, “Same to you, Kosta.”

\----

              Ryder was exhausted. Her chest hurt—sharp pain with each intake of breath. Her ribs had been broken at some point in the Remnant City, and after the exertion of the fight, it was the first time she really felt it.

              Her eyes heavy and blurry, “Scott?” She asked.

              _“We’ve got him.”_ Someone assured her over the radio. She let out her breath, desperately needing a break, just a few moments to rest. Ryder was well aware that she probably needed to see Lexi, a gash on her face dripped blood down her cheek and into her hair, but that was okay.

              It was a long way from her heart.

              And everyone had made it.

              They made it to Meridian.

              They won.

              She curled her fingers on the cool rock floor of the cavern, forcing another breath. Fuck it hurt to breathe. _It’ll stop hurting. It’ll get better._ She assured herself.

              “Pathfinder Ryder!” Someone she didn’t know shouted, she felt them leaning over her, their ear against her lips. She exhaled and heard him exhale in return.

              Fuck she must have looked bad if he wasn’t sure she was breathing, “Hey! Pathfinder!” He rubbed his knuckles harshly over her sternum. Ryder groaned in pain and turned her head away from him. She’d had too many people do that today, lean over her and pinch or prod. Cora in the Remnant City and then again on the Tempest and Lexi and now this guy, “I’ve got the pathfinder! We need a med evac yesterday!”

              “I’m…alive…” She managed. But it hurt so much and it was hard to talk and Ryder was just so fucking tired. She lay a moment, the man shouting at her not to close her eyes. More people joined the crowd around her, someone pressing a towel to the side of her face, others in a heated debate over whether they should attempt to move her.

              “Ryder!” That was Vetra, and the idea of seeing Vetra was enough to rouse her eyes open.

              “Vetra.” She grinned, seeing her girlfriend’s face loom over hers.

 “It’s going to be okay, we’ll get you to Lexi and out of here.” A warm gloved hand wrapped around her own. Ryder squeezed. The woman holding the towel to her bleeding face glanced between the two of them.

              “You a medic?” The man who found Ryder initially asked.

              “I know you asked for a medic, kid, but don’t worry I’m a merc.” She was knew it was more directed at the young man rather than her, but Ryder smiled.

              “I’m in…good hands…”

              Vetra kissed the back of the one she held, running her other over Ryder’s head, “You know it. Stay awake. So I know you’re alive.” She gripped Vetra’s hand hard to bear the pain of being lifted onto a gurney. The turian gripped her back, staying at her side while they carried her out of the caves, back to the medbay.

              “Where’s my brother?” Ryder groaned.

              “He’s safe. The real medics have him. He’ll be okay.” Vetra assured her softly, “Everything’s okay.” And with that she let herself slip into the warm blanket of unconsciousness.

\----

Don’t be alarmed! This got away from me! Definitely going to be writing a part 2! But I wanted to get this posted tonight and I’ve got a long work week ahead. Hopefully y’all don’t mind the cliffhanger too much. I’m not completely happy with this chapter but plan on going back to edit.

Your comments and kudos give me life : )  


	7. The Initiative Formal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tann throws a formal to celebrate the success of the Initiative. Ryder and Vetra sneak off.

Sorry this took me such a long ass time to write even though I promised it two months ago : (

Warning: Alcohol use throughout, SMUT ~~(does anyone call that lemon anymore? I don’t think so)~~

So I believe that this takes place after the game. I’m sorry it took me so long.

(And that I got drunk and posted on Tumblr that I was writing it two months ago and then never doing it) But it’s here now!! :D

\-----

              “You’re sure you’re not bringing a date? Because I’m not going to be the only one there without a date.” Ryder told Liam.

              “Yes, yes I’m sure.”

              Ryder laughed, “Wouldn’t want to cock block you. What happened to that customs girl you wanted to get with?”

              “I’ll tell her I’m your beard.” He shrugged, feet up, leaning back on his couch.  Ryder stretched her arms out, “But aren’t Pathfinders supposed to go single so the tabloids don’t blow up?” Liam was correct in that statement.

              Ryder groaned, “Why does Andromeda even _have_ tabloids. Better yet: why’d they make it black tie?”

              It was a rhetorical question but Liam had an answer for everything always: “Because they’ve got to make it feel homey. Fancy. Y’know. The way politicians did back ho—back in the Milky Way.”

              “I don’t own a dress.” She said, finishing her beer, “I’m going to have to pregame this.”

              “Do a few shots before you head in. We have weeks to find a bottle.” Liam laughed at her, “You’ll find a dress. Didn’t Sid say she knew an asari and some human ladies who had been making clothes at the Nexus?”

              They took a few moments of silence, “You’re going to ask that customs lady, aren’t you?” Liam was silent, “Seriously, Liam?” She groaned dramatically, not really hurt, “Leaving me hanging. You’re supposed to be my ride or die, single for life.”

              “Hey. If you want a fake date, I’m yours, Ryder. But you’re not technically single and everyone knows.”

              “Just ask the customs girl— it’s fine, I’m teasing. What about Jaal? He’s going alone right?”

              “Uhh….”

              “Wait…Who is she going with?” She craned her neck.

              “Some angaran girl he met on the Nexus.”

              Okay fine. That was fine, “Cora’s going alone too.”

              “If that’s what you think.”

              She glowered at Liam, “So everyone just jumped off this ship and asked everyone they knew on a date?” _Why the hell hadn’t she asked Vetra?_ Because Tann, she knew. Tann didn’t want Pathfinders coming with partners. “Why does no one tell me anything?”

              “Maybe that part where you don’t tell us anything.”

              “I would if you all didn’t figure it out yourselves as fast as you do.” She grumbled. 

“Why not Vetra?”

              “How does everyone know about that? We’re trying to keep it secret!” She whispered as if someone could hear. But she actually _did_ know that her relationship with Vetra was common knowledge. “And also…We’re not supposed to come with a date.” She groaned, “I better not be the only one without a date.”

              “After Meridian? And the remnant city.” He tipped his head back to finish his drink, “You’d have to be an idiot not to know.”

              “We’re keeping it a secret.” She repeated weakly.

              “Yeah. You said that.”

              “Which sucks because it will be the first time I see her after she gets home from Kadara.” Ryder groaned. Vetra and Cora were gone on separate business trips. Cora with Sarissa and Vetra to aid in negotiations for a turian crew working to rebuild Nexus trading lines with Kadara Port.

              “Secrets, secrets are no fun…” Liam trailed off.

              “Oh, shut up. Go with it. Blame Tann.”

**Three Weeks Later**

Ryder leaned her head begrudgingly into the makeup artist as she told her to look up.

              “Ow.” The woman ignored her, “Please don’t take my eye out.”

              “Oh, stop being so dramatic.” Addison told her, standing with her arms folded, “Look at me, Ryder. This is important.”

              She couldn’t look at her when this lady was dangerously close to poking her eye out with a blunt eyeliner pencil, “I can do my makeup—“

              “You will be professionally dressed and made up for this as appropriate to your species. That was decided before the initiative left for the first event of this nature.”

              Finally the artist released her chin as to get a different pencil, “Look up again for me.” She said.

              Ryder did as she was told, rolling her eyes up to the bright light of the ceiling. Her hair pulled uncomfortably in the rollers where it was set. The sweet smell of hairspray lingered around her. 

              “What is it?” She asked Addison.

              “I need you to represent our species tonight, Ryder. You are the face of this initiative that people want to see.” The woman continued, “And Tann is less than happy about it.”

              “Him and I don’t—“ She stopped talking as the lady leaned in front of her, holding out a fake eyelash.

“Look up again.”

“Him and I don’t see eye to eye. See what I did there? Eye to eye?  Eyelashes—”

Addison snapped: “I know all about you and Tann! So I’m here to tell you, for one night of your life, to not be yourself and stick to the script.”

“And here I thought you were happy to see me.” Ryder grumbled, doing her best not to flinch when the lady attached the first fake eyelash.

“Enough with the joking around.” Addison said, but she’d already lost her venom. She and Ryder never became close, but established a sort of mutual respect. Addison always made her approach as abrasive as possible but it stopped getting under Ryder’s skin a long time ago.

“I’ll be good.” Ryder said, hoping it was enough to get the lady to leave her alone. She had no intention of causing trouble at the Initiative’s special little ball.

“You come out, say hello and sit down--”

“Yes.” She knew the drill, “Then we sit down and listen to Tann talk.” Director Tann apparently was giving none of the Pathfinders platform to give speeches of their own. Sarissa and Raeka were taking that especially hard.

“He’s quite looking forward to it.”

“I bet he is.” She reached out, managing an awkward fingertip swipe of the Director’s elbow, “I promise I’m not going to do anything stupid.”

“Yes, but you’re you.” Addison said, sighing. Though, she returned an almost affectionate rub on Ryder’s arm on her way out.

The lady finished her makeup and left her sitting to give rollers time to set. She stared down at her bare legs sticking out of the robe they gave her and stretched her toes in the foamy spreaders—looking at the drying red polish.

“Fancy.” Cora made her jump. She might not have been an asari but was as stealthy as one when she wanted to be, “Brought you a gift.”

She hadn’t seen Cora in several weeks—she’d been working on a job with Sarissa. Now that Heleus wasn’t under immediate threat from the Archon, they’d been able to spare Cora to let her spend some time with the asari Pathfinder. Her main position remained on the _Tempest,_ she assured Ryder over and over. Ryder had no reason not to believe her XO, “Is Sarissa your date—“

“Oh my goddess, Ryder.”

“It’s fine, really. Just wondering. I know you said you’re not into but I was just wondering, heard you had one—”

“It’s been weeks and that’s literally the first thing out of your mouth.”

“Sorry. I know that was inappropriate, Lieutenant Harper.”

Cora scowled at her, “Missed you too, Pathfinder. Want what I brought you?”

“What is it?”

It looked like a cylinder of spray perfume. Until Ryder realized the top unscrewed, “Cora this is quite, quite illegal.” But Ryder was laughing. A gimmick hidden flasks.

“Something I brought from the Milky Way. Took it to a concert once.”

“You did not.” Ryder grinned, taking a sniff and recoiling at the strength, “What’s in here?”

“Hooch.”

Ryder squinted at her, “It is fucking not. This is prison moonshine?”

“Your girlfriend has connections. I tried it so don’t worry— it won’t make you go blind.”

“She’s back!?” Ryder cried, looking at the Nexus-official time on her omni-tool. Earlier than Vetra’s shuttle was expected, “Was it actually made in a prison?”

“No.” Cora laughed at her, “Well…probably not.”

“Isn’t hooch only made in prisons?”

“Isn’t it all moonshine?”

“I guess?” Ryder took another sniff and cringed. She’d encountered moonshine before and it never got more appetizing, “I don’t know if I should drink it or use it to take off my nail polish.” But she was laughing, “This is the best thing you’ve ever brought me.”

“Well, it should have been Vetra but it was harder for a turian to sneak into here and she says you guys are trying to be discreet. She and Liam agreed you’d want something stiff before listening to Tann’s speech. It’s a long one.” Ryder hadn’t seen Vetra in weeks either.

Ryder groaned, “I’ve heard it is.”  She braved a sip and almost gagged and forced down another for good measure.  “I can’t be drinking. I’ve got to be professional. Where’s Vetra?”

Her XO smiled at her, “Playing cards with Avitus.”           

“He got away from the makeup people?” Ryder got off her chair.

“You have no clothes on.”

“I have a robe.” She shrugged, “Let’s go check in. I haven’t seen her in too long.”

Ryder managed another sip of the moonshine and passed the flask to Cora who seemed to be able to drink it a bit better than she was, “That shit is bad.”

“Glad I’m not working tonight.”

“Had to rub it in?” Ryder laughed, and Cora laughed with her and Ryder decided she was over Cora not telling her about having a date even though they originally said they’d be single together. Not that she was truly mad in the first place.

“Hey, after the Kadara thing, you better eat something if you have any more during dinner—“

“Did Vetra tell you about that time with Reyes on Kadara?”

“Nope.” Cora said, “Everyone just knows.”

“How does everyone know everything?”  

\--

Vetra and Avitus played some turian game with classic human cards on the desk. That was the interesting thing about working with aliens: the way things got mashed together. Both were intensely focused but it was Vetra who looked up at her first. Apparently losing the game by Avitus’ reaction. Translators didn’t exactly pick up the intricacies attached to the subvocal sounds turians made.

“Ryder. Thought you were supposed to be hidden away from us.” Vetra said. She made the contented-happy-to-see-you-greeting-noise which Ryder _did_ understand.  It looked like she was in an internal struggle weather to stand up or not which eventually ended with her scrambling to her feet and partially knocking the table.

“More fun to see you.” She said. Vetra reached out to her.

“I won’t tell.” Avitus replied.

Ryder, feeling the buzz off the moonshine more than she should have been because she hadn’t eaten all day, came to Vetra’s side and draped an arm over her shoulder, “Sit down, sit down.” Vetra nuzzled her cheek and sank into the chair.

“Looks like you’re feeling good.”

“I’m still pretty sober.”

Vetra reached up and poked at the rollers on her head, “Should I even ask?”

“Giving her some curls.” Cora said, and Vetra stared at her. Either it didn’t translate or made no sense or both.

Ryder grasped her girlfriend’s face and kissed her, running her thumbs over Vetra’s mandibles and feeling her shiver beneath her, “You going to be dressed up?”

“I will be.” Vetra said, “Soon. You look good already. I like the things on your eyes.” Vetra looked her up and down.

Ryder laughed at her description of false eyelashes, “They’re a bit itchy. Glued on.”

She kissed Vetra again, “Are you guys going to do this at the formal? Might be more entertaining than Tann’s speech.”  Avitus commented.

He poured from a blue glass bottle into two slim shot glasses and handed one to Vetra, “Glad I’m not the only one pregaming.” Ryder said.

“What?” Avitus asked. That was another one lost in translation, apparently.

Vetra and Ryder kissed again, and only stopped when she realized Cora was tugging her bunched up robe back over her panties, “Please maintain some of your dignity, Pathfinder. The press is around.”

Avitus snorted.

“I always give them the best articles.”

              “Depends on how you define that.” Avitus groaned, “Remember I’m the one that Tann calls when he’s pissed about stuff other pathfinders do… remember that time you had a….’nip slip’, was it?”

              “Wow . I missed that one.” Cora said.

              “Those were purely rumors! Never got published and only some old fashioned humans care anything about that. Don’t tell Scott?”

              “Though you have to admit the press has focused in on Ryder.” Cora pointed out.

              “I’m more approachable, I’d say.” Ryder quipped.

              “No.” Cora said, “Raeka is, definitely.”

              “Just because Raeka hung out with Sid and those kids.” Vetra snorted, Ryder put her hands on her shoulders, “I’m not sure you making that school visit would have happened after whatever a ‘nip slip’ is and the omni-tool picture of you drunk carrying an adhi around Kadara? No offense babe.”

              “’Babe’? Whoa, we’re supposed to be keeping that a secret.” Ryder giggled. Though she couldn’t deny that fire was burning in her belly a little hotter than she wanted it to be considering she had to sit through a formal dinner and behave herself, “Promise you’ll tell me all about Kadara in a bit?”

              “Promise.”  Vetra assured her.

              “Ryder. You’re going to put some clothes on before your ass is the next tabloid and Scott texts me about it.” Cora gripped her elbow with one hand and tugged Ryder’s robe down a second time with the other, “Time to get you back.”

              “You and Scott text?”

\--

              Tann rarely enjoyed things: the one exception being hearing him hearing himself talk. Tann was very proud of his speech. Animated and smiley and not stopping for breath. She smoothed over her sequin skirt.

              Ten minutes in and she was losing focus on his repetitive rambling which didn’t seem to excite anyone except himself (and Raeka, who was much better at pretending to be interested in things than Ryder).

              Scott lifted his glass at her when she met his gaze across the ballroom filled with folding tables and Ryder did her best not to flinch with laughter. Growing up they mastered the art of mocking people without words. Bored and giddy—Scott’s face was far funnier than it should have been.

By the forty-minute mark Sarissa had dismantled the table centerpiece, slowly with her biotics. Ryder only noticed when she realized petals were removed from the flowers and arranged in loops across the white cloth. Sarissa caught her eyes and smirked. A soft violet glow where she flicked a petal at Ryder.

              Tann remained blissfully ignorant to the antics.

              “I’m going to take a break, uh, real quick while dessert is served. And then I have Bradley over vidcom from Eos!” Tann was met with thundering applause. Although it was probably for Bradley.

              Ryder was thankful for the time standing up and mingling allowed them. She went straight for the tall turian lady dressed in a black coat with long tails, “You look good.” Damn did Vetra look good. She always looked good. Tall and strong. Ryder felt the buzz of her moonshine and could think of little else besides Vetra’s strong arms wrapping her around her waist, hoisting her up onto the table—

              “What? You’re staring, Ryder.” Vetra laughed a bit.

              “Ah. Sorry…buzzed…Spaced out a little.” She blinked and shook her head, trying to get herself back.  

              “Think you’ll stay awake through the rest of the evening?” Vetra said to her.

              “Yes, completely. Depending on what….” She traced her finger up the side of Vetra’s thigh, relishing in her little inhale, “our after party plans are—” She cut off as Jane, a blonde girl from customs who had apparently once been on a date with Liam, came up to her and started asking about Voeld and what Ryder’s personal opinions were of how high heating prices would effect settlement there in coming decades, “I really….really don’t think I’m one to ask about this.”

              Thankfully Bradley’s speech was far less painful than Tann’s and flew by.         Or maybe that was because her mind wasn’t on a speech anymore. It was on that she hadn’t seen Vetra in a month and there was a lot of catching up to do. In more ways than one. And her imagination about later activities was keeping her plenty entertained.

              They finished their formalities as Pathfinders and were set free to their own mingling during the formal after the last person spoke, “How was Sarissa?” Ryder asked Cora, shouting over the noise around them.  

              “Lovely. It was a nice trip. How have things been on the Tempest?”

              “Pretty well. Just running some errands between the outposts.” Ryder smiled at Scott as he walked up to them, Vetra on his right.

              “There are some really good cupcakes over there.” He pointed with his thumb, “Have you seen them?”

              “Too bad I can’t eat them.” Vetra turned to Ryder, “Looks like someone wants to talk to you.” Raeka marched through the crowd, waving. The voices and music were loud in the room, enough that they shouted at each other to hear. Vetra bent down to her, a low rumble into her ear.

              _“I’m very interested in us having an ‘after party’. Just us. Getting my hands on you. My tongue on you.”_ A blunted talon run over the back of her neck while Vetra turned to walk with Cora and Scott.

              _Fuck._ Ryder tried her best to wink at Vetra but ended up blinking twice and her girlfriend was gone toward the cupcake table. “H-Hi Raeka.” She was flushing even though there was no way anyone heard what Vetra just told her.

 Raeka wanted to talk about salarians at Eos. A group of them needed lab equipment flown from the Nexus if Ryder’s ship was making a run there soon.  Vetra stood against the wall with Scott and Cora, avoiding the main crowd at the center of the room and talking to Kandros.

_Damn it. You don’t just pull a hit and run on me like that, Nyx._

“Anyway, they need some of the fume hoods and scanners. The sand is real interesting there, and it sounds silly, but apparently the chemical compounds in the grains could really be beneficial for different projects—especially sealants.” Raeka continued.

“It….I’m not sure.” Ryder was really, really trying not to sound awkward. Was it obvious what Vetra just said to her? No, of course it wasn’t. Raeka was oblivious, “I’ll look, though. I fly there a lot. Really shouldn’t be a problem.”

“Oh, great! Splendid! Thanks, Ryder.”

“Of course!” She smiled, and glanced back to see Vetra still against the wall, “I’m sorry. Got to talk to Kandros. Excuse me for a moment?”

She ducked her way through the crowd, heading for Vetra. She sidled up to her girlfriend, hip against her thigh, “Where’s Kandros?” She asked.

“Just walked away.”

“Good.” She placed a hand on Vetra’s carapace—tugging her down to whisper back to her, “You better stop teasing me like this, Nyx. Or else.”

“I think you started it. But ‘or else’ what?”

Crap. This had sounded much sexier in her head when she rehearsed it on the walk over, “I don’t know. But it involves me having my way with you—” Ryder paused, looking around. There wasn’t really anywhere to hide here. It was a banquet hall with a stage and tables.   _Hmm._ Though there was a door on the far end of the room, “In that closet.”

Vetra chuckled, “Ryder, that’s the foyer. Unless you _really_ want Tann to have an aneurism—”

“Shit.”   

“Ah! The woman of the hour!” Tann’s shrill voice. The ringmaster voice which was saved for giving speeches and talking to the media when he sensed they were reporting him in a positive light. She and Vetra separated instantly, “Pathfinder Ryder!”

He wrapped his arm over her shoulder, grinning widely for a photo which Ryder didn’t realize was being taken until the flash made her close her eyes, “Come, I’ll introduce you!” He steered her into the center of the crowd, “Here she is. Our hero!” It made her feel sick.

Tann went in for another photo. This time posing while clasping his hand on her chest. She startled and blinked while Tann ignorantly kept his palm on her breast and Sarissa, in the crowd, smacked her palm over her mouth while vibrating with laughter.

 He patted his hand against her while the crowd gathered. Apparently he’d slept through the ‘cultural manners while approaching aliens’ class. It wasn’t like female salarians had breasts. Ryder grit her teeth, sensing he might be planning on grabbing down and making a PR nightmare for both of them but unwilling to bring the attention swatting his hand would. After a moment of considering the best escape Ryder rolled her eyes and twisted to make his hand end up on her shoulder.

_We are about to have a talk about not grabbing my boob, Director. Later._

She wasn’t looking forward to that conversation. Maybe she would luck out and he’d unintentionally grope Sarissa the same way and end up flung across the ballroom with her biotics.

Though, once the photo opportunity passed, Tann returned to ignoring her. Vetra was behind her almost as soon as the Director was gone, “Hey. Why is it that Tann is getting more action than I am?” That voice could kill a woman.

“You saw that?” Ryder groaned. 

“Yeah I saw that.” Talons drummed on her lower back.

Ryder reached over and gave Vetra a playful flick with her fingers on the bottom.

\--

              Apparently flicking your turian girlfriend on the bottom escalated ‘fuck later’ to ‘fuck now’. Vetra nearly dragged her out of the ballroom.

              They leaned against each other, laughing, as they scampered into the foyer, “Where are we going?” She asked the turian.

“Anywhere.”

“Oh, I like the sound of that—”

“Ryder! Vetra!” Jaal boomed, arms wide as he caught Ryder in a hug. Again she found herself blushing and fearing, as she had with Raeka, that he could sense exactly what she and Vetra were off to do, “How is the party?”

              “It’s nice. Where have you been?” Vetra asked him.

              “Sitting with the angara. We have come to the consensus that Milky Way food is extremely delicious. Going to have to bring some to my mothers.”

              “Yeah? Sounds nice!” Ryder said, backing up so she rested against Vetra’s chest.

              “We’re about to...buy some snacks.” Vetra told him.

              “Yeah. Popcorn.”

              “I hear there are…’sweets’ inside.” Jaal pointed.

              “Yeah. The cupcakes.”

              “They’re good…yeah…”

              “Can you eat them?” Jaal asked Vetra.

              “That’s what Scott said.” She answered quickly.

              “Is it safe to say, that this is goodnight?” Jaal asked, glancing between the two of them while a smile spread across his lips.

              “Yes.” Vetra answered.

              At the same time Ryder cried out: “No! I meant yes! Goodnight!”

              Jaal grinned, “Have fun. Enjoy each other’s company. It’s been a long time, yes—”

              “Yes. Uh. Yeah. Thanks. Bye, Jaal!” Ryder wasn’t familiar with this area of the Nexus but knew they were in operations. Just a section she hadn’t seen. She led them down the first hallway away from the group of people gathered in the foyer, “He totally knew.”

              “He’s Jaal. Of course he knew.”

Ryder groaned, “If anyone asks he’s going to tell them exactly what we’re doing. ‘Snacks’, Vetra? Reall--” 

              Vetra cut her off by bending down to kiss her the human way. Her warm, stiff lips against Ryder’s. Her tongue was rough, brushing gently over Ryder’s lower lip while she backed her into the wall, hands on her hips. She rested her hands over Vetra’s mandibles, running her fingers back until she reached behind them and rubbed. Vetra gasped.

              “It _has_ been a while.” She rumbled when they broke.

              “Office unlocked?” Ryder sidestepped, testing the handle and grinning, “It’s unlocked.”

              “We can’t. Not here.” Vetra breathed.

              “What? Why?” She pressed her hand on Vetra’s crotch. It was hard to tell through her trousers but it seemed like her groin plates were already open. She was very similar to a human female, her only big difference being that her opening was a bit closer to the front of her body.

              “Just…not this office. Let’s find another.”

              “Why?” Ryder sobered, worried that Vetra might not be completely comfortable with getting frisky in some unnamed security office, “Want to go somewhere else?”

              “No. Just. Uh. That’s my Blast-oh contact.” Vetra pulled the door shut, going to press Ryder into the wall again, “We’ll find another.”

              “Oh no!” Ryder shook her head, deciding Vetra wasn’t going to take the lead this time, “Can you keep quiet, Nyx?” She pressed open palms to Vetra’s chest, backing her into the opposite wall, “I’m in charge here.”

              Vetra flared her mandibles. Ryder _loved_ when she did that, “O-oh yeah?” The turian lady stammered. Ryder bit her lip and folded herself down onto her knees in front of Vetra, planting a kiss on her stomach on top of her shirt, “Spirits, Ryder! Here?”

              “I’m game.” She kissed again and got another hiss from Vetra, “If you are?” She adjusted herself so the sequins on her skirt stopped biting into her legs.  

              “Shit…Yeah.” She tangled her fingers in Ryder’s curled hair and Ryder took it as a go ahead. The floor was hard and cold against her knees but she could care less as she reached up to undo the zippers on the sides of Vetra’s pants, tracing along her hip spurs, “Ryder…”

              “Moving too fast?” Ryder pouted and leaned her chin on Vetra’s abdomen.

              Someone laughed from down the hallway, making Ryder scramble to her feet, “Is that?” Vetra craned her neck as if it would help her peer around the bend.

              “That’s definitely my brother!” She whispered urgently back to Vetra. By some stroke of luck the next office they tried was open as well. The two scrambled into the door and Ryder did her best to silently close it. They ducked out of sight of the window, listening to two sets of footsteps.

              _“Don’t worry about it. No one saw us leave, and everyone is leaving anyway. We can stay at my place.”_ Scott told whoever he was with. Ryder was more concerned with yanking Vetra’s pants down. Her brother and his friend weren’t coming in here.

              “Looks like your brother’s got a date after all.”

              “Gross.” Vetra chuckled at her response, gasping again when Ryder nudged her toward the desk. She finally managed to get the material over Vetra’s hip spurs and one of her legs freed. Her groin plates were open, Ryder dipped her hand down, feeling her warm wetness. Vetra shivered at her touch, “Legs apart, Nyx. Get on the desk.”

Vetra whirred at her assertiveness, “Yes, ma’am.” She seated herself on the edge, pants still dangling from one leg.  She looked like she was going to say something else but Ryder bent her head down and placed a hard lick up her slit, “Ahh!”

“Too much?” Ryder pouted again, then placed a kiss just to the side of Vetra’s sex and teased the soft skin with her tongue. She tasted sweet and metallic, and the noises she made: enough to have Ryder about finishing in her panties.

“Teasing me?” Vetra let out a quivering laugh, “You’re mean.”

“Sure this isn’t—” She gave her another hard lick, pausing to thrust her tongue into Vetra. Her clit was located directly above her opening, and she made sure to pause over the sensitive nub for a moment, “too much?”

“Damn it, Ryder.”

“Don’t want to get snacks first? Before we do this.”

“Don’t stop!” Vetra made a high-pitched rumble.

“Just making sure.” Ryder laughed and went to work. She slipped one finger into Vetra, feeling her clench down around her digit. Rocking her hand gently, she ran her tongue back and forth over her clit. Vetra rolled her hips into her movements, making another beautiful noise when Ryder slipped a second finger inside of her.

“Dammit, Ryder.” Vetra tightened her grip on Ryder’s hair and she kept her motion steady, tongue pressing a bit harder onto her clit.

“Come on, V.” She lifted her head for a moment, fingers still thrusting. Vetra’s head back, eyes closed. She tightened her grip on Ryder’s hair.

“ _Please, Sara.”_ She returned her mouth to Vetra, running her tongue back and forth and pressing harder than before.

Vetra clenched around Ryder’s fingers and bucked her hips hard into her chin as she reached her peak, “That’s it.” Ryder chewed her lip, continuing soft thrusts to let her ride out the climax as long as she could.

Once Vetra relaxed she withdrew her hand, wiping her mouth with her arm before bending down to kiss her, “I missed that.” Vetra purred, sitting up.

“Me too—ah!” Ryder squealed as Vetra leapt off the desk and hoisted her up with her legs around her waist. She turned to sit Ryder back onto the surface.

“Legs apart, Pathfinder.” Vetra mimicked and pressed her forehead against hers. Her eyes glistened with mischief in the dim light.

“I’m in trouble for that, aren’t I?” Ryder giggled.

“Oh yeah you are.”

“Can’t wait.” She let Vetra tip her back and did her best to stay quiet as Vetra reminded her just how beautifully rough and long a turian’s tongue was.

\----

Thanks so much to my readers!!

I love you guys. I’m so sorry it’s been so long!

 


	8. Cold

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The heat goes out at the Voeld outpost during a blizzard. How in the world will they stay warm?

 

Chapter 8: Cold

**In which the heating system at the outpost dies during a blizzard on Voeld.**

              “Hey, V.” She smiled at her girlfriend, a shadowy lump beneath the sheets in the dim light. The Pathfinder sat the clunky heater on the floor as quiet as she could. Hands cold to the point of painful, Ryder groped around the device for the on switch. Finally locating the button on the back which she struggled to press, “Ah, got it.” The heater buzzed to life, coils glowing orange and radiating their warmth. Ryder breathed a sigh of relief and wrung her wrists, desperate to force some circulation back to aching fingertips. Shivers ran down her shoulders despite her best efforts to quell them. Cool wetness around the corners of her eyes from where ice melted from her eyelashes.

              A tiny room with a cot folded out from a couch. In the faint orange glow she made out Vetra’s form—curled on her side and buried beneath blankets, “What…are you doing?” The turian woman asked her, soft puffs of steam from her breathing in the cold air.

              “I got us a heater.” Ryder stood, frozen feet and ankles groaning in protest. Vetra opened her eyes at that, irises reflecting the glow of the coils. Ryder brushed her fingers over her girlfriend’s head, on top of the blankets, “Because you feel cold. And I’m too cold to function.” She touched her own icy fingers to Vetra’s forehead plate, who, displeased, ducked her head beneath the blanket bundle wrapped around herself.

              “You ‘got’ a heater?” Vetra asked after a moment, sticking her face back out of her cocoon.

              “Yes.”

              “Your hands are literally ice, Ryder.” She groaned, “Keep them off me.”  

              Ryder snorted with a laugh, “Are you okay?”

              “I’m a turian, I’ll manage.” Vetra hummed, “Where the hell did you get a heater?”

              “You don’t want to know. Now move. Stop hogging the blankets.” A few moments of arrangement so Ryder could press her chest against Vetra’s, head leaning upon her carapace. It wasn’t the most comfortable position, but with the heater running and their bodies pressed together everything was warmer than it had been. Vetra made her content rumble which she usually did when she’d found a spot to sleep in. Ryder did her best to imitate the gentle rolling in her throat to show that she too was happy with their arrangement, but it came out more like she was hawking.

              Nonetheless Vetra draped her arm over Ryder, blunted talons running over her back, “I do want to know.

              “Only if I can put my hands against you.” Ryder rebutted, carefully pushing numb fingers against Vetra’s warm belly, between the two of them.

              Vetra squeaked and sucked in her stomach, away from her touch, _“Ryder.”_ She gripped Ryder’s fingers in hers.  

**27 Minutes Earlier:**

              _Fuck me. A blizzard. Of course._ Ryder wrestled the steering wheel of the Nomad straight, gripping until her fingers ached. Her face chapped from the cold, Ryder bit back a stream of curses as she attempted to wrestle the door open, “SAM? Where’s the _Tempest_?”

              “ **Safely off world due to worsening of weather conditions, as directed**.”

              “Great.” She groaned, giving up on fighting the door against the wind for a moment, “Ready for the heat inside?”

              “Course.” Liam chirped, “A little ice falling from the sky never hurt anyone.”

              Ryder groaned, “Yeah. ‘Course it hasn’t—” She worked up the courage to shove the door open, “ach! Fucker!” It was blindingly cold, wind gusts sending a barrage of snow into her face, she scrambled to put her helmet on.

              “Is Vetra here?” He asked.

              “Her and Cora!” Ryder yelled over the wind, the two of them with their arms up, managing to make it into one of the buildings and promptly realizing it was the wrong one, a lab with a few asari staring at them, a turian man huddled against a heater. _Drafty as fuck in here._

“Sorry.” Liam said.

              “Wrong building.” Ryder sheepishly added, looking down at the snow covering their boots which they’d tracked into the door way. She did her best to backtrack onto the mats placed in front of the door, carefully wiping her feet. “We’ll…be out of your way.”

              Back into the knee deep powder. Vault or not the cold seeped into the seams of her suit, feet and fingers numb, “Damn it, Liam.” She growled, quivering beneath her armor.  

              “This isn’t my fault.” His reply echoed over the radio, panting and fighting an onslaught of ice, “I was following you, Ryder! All these buildings look the same at night!”

              Nearly slipping once on the steps, Ryder managed her way to the door and did her best to knock the snow off of herself before slipping through. A few more turians gathered around a small space heater, warming their hands. Turians didn’t like the cold, she knew—mainly from a C-Sec officer she met on the Citadel who bitched incessantly about a Noveria job he’d worked. They paid no attention to her nearly slipping and falling on the wet flooring. Glomped onto the heater and dug in for the duration of this storm, it seemed.

              _I don’t like the cold much either._ Ryder thought. Her hands and feet hurt, stiff fingers only partially functional. She struggled to remove her helmet, and used the sleeve of her under suit to clean the droplets of melting snow from the face plate, “I can’t feel my hands.” She sniffled. Her hair was wet from snow hitting her and sticking before she put the helmet on.

              “I can’t feel anything.” Liam hugged himself.

              “Alright, are you going to survive for right now?” Ryder did her best to wipe her boots clean on the doormat. The two of them still patting snow from themselves before tracking it through the complex. “Where’s Vetra? Cora? Do you know?” She asked Lisana, who shrugged at her, “turian lady is on the fold out couch down the hallway. Harper’s on her way back. Just radioed in.” Ryder wasn’t fond of the idea of her second in command still venturing through the worsening blizzard, but she kept that fact to herself. _Cora’s a big girl._

Ryder shrugged off the chest plates of her armor, immediately regretting it, “Heaters not working?” She asked Lisana, who stood, wrapped in a blanket.

“Now that you mention it, I’m colder than an adhi in a snow bank in this damn place… fuck is wrong with our heat?”

“Overtaxed and the fans aren’t working.” Somebody said, “I’m working on it.” He had a belt of tools and Ryder was beyond too cold and exhausted to think straight, let alone offer her assistance.

It was far warmer in this building than it was outside, even if she saw the condensation of her own breath and that of a salarian walking down the hallway toward her. He wore a dark set of coveralls.

_So much for a warm night by the fire. No wonder they’re on the heaters like sharks on blood._

Figuring that Liam was able to handle himself from here, Ryder left him to chat with some of the technicians to locate Vetra.  She wished she had the foresight to get back on the Tempest rather than stay the night in this snowy hell. Especially if the outpost heating system decided now was the night it was going to give up.

Stark platinum walls and a door which was left partially open. In the light spilling from the hallway, she saw the outline of the bed. A cot which was low to the ground, and sagging under the weight in the middle. A lump curled in on herself and buried beneath a pile what Ryder recognized as the stiff, scratchy blankets the initiative brought by the crate full.

“Vetra?” She whispered into the darkness, accidently banging her numb foot on the door and sending it into the wall with a horrible, echoing crash.  Vetra’s head snapped up at the noise, propping herself on her elbows, “Sorry, sorry. It’s just me.” Ryder carefully arranged the door in it’s cracked position again, allowing only a sliver of light from the hall, “Damn, it’s cold in here, Vetra.”

“What was that?”

“I tripped over the door.” Vetra settled herself back down on the pile of pillows she’d arranged to support her carapace, Ryder felt a pang of guilt, knowing she’d jolted her from a deep sleep.

              “You okay?”

              “Yeah, just cold. Are _you_ okay, V?” But Vetra’s eyes were already closed. Ryder touched her fingertips sticking from the blankets, finding them nearly as icy as her own. _It is too damn cold in this room._ Her exhaustion replaced by frustration and quickly turning to irrational anger directed at the heating system, “I’ll be back.” She bent down, giving Vetra a kiss on the head on top of the rough fabric before tip-toeing out, careful to avoid another door incident.

              “Hey, Lisana?” Ryder shivered while approaching the asari curled up in her own initiative blanket on the couch.

              She turned her head, “Yes, Pathfinder?”

              “There any more heaters?”

              “Not that I know of. But apparently the heat should be back online soon.” She yawned and turned away. Maybe she was tired and frustrated too, not wanting to have anything to do with this problem.

              ‘ _Soon’ doesn’t help me and the turian I’m dating all that much. Not to mention Cora._ Her XO was in for a rude shock when she got back if she and the asari with her were planning on pushing their life support systems to their limits with the promise of a heated outpost awaiting them.

              At least the common area was a bit warmer with the space heaters running. _Worst case scenario and the Tempest crew sleeps on the Voeld outpost common area floor._ “You sleeping out here tonight?” She asked Lisana.

              “Looks the hell like it.” She didn’t budge from the couch pillows, “You have a good night, Pathfinder.”

Again feeling how cold and sore and tired she was, Ryder was desperate _not_ to put that into effect. She swore the metal floor under her feet felt cold through the bottoms of her boots. Into the drafty adjacent hallway, the one across the common space from the hall with the room Vetra claimed.

              A door with Lisana’s name written on a white board— both in the asari symbol writing and the Latin alphabet. It was open. Ryder looked over her shoulder and seeing no one was looking, slipped inside. _This is not going to go over well._ She felt along the wall for the light switch. Sitting on her floor, aimed at her bed, was a black box. _Well lookie there._ A heater.

              Ryder glanced back and forth as if someone were beside her in the room. _Just barrowing you._ It was bulky as she lifted it into her arms, not to mention painfully obvious if Lisana decided to open her eyes. _She claimed the couch to sleep on. She said so._

              But her freezing limbs were louder than her voice of reason. Ryder balanced the heater on her thigh to turn off the light and return the door to the partially open state where she left it.

              One turian raised his head from where he’d tucked his face into his carapace. Ryder met his eyes and glared him down. She was exposed, in a compromising position—red handed. But it seemed her luck was holding. He was a cold turian just as she was a cold human. He didn’t care and averted his gaze.

              Into the open space. Liam could run his mouth and blow her in but there was no sign of her crew mate. Probably being heroic somewhere—perhaps helping the salarian maintenance man get the heaters going. If that was the case she owed him a favor for that, maybe two if they got it fixed in the next hour.

              Lisana didn’t stir. Ryder held her breath, put her eyes on Vetra’s door, and made her way down the hallway.

              Most of the story seemed to fly over a very sleepy Vetra’s head, but she hummed in agreement nonetheless. “Well, good. You didn’t fly to Kadara and take it from Sloane Kelly. That’s a plus.”

              “Suppose so.” Ryder grumbled, kissing Vetra’s forehead. The two rested in silence, the heater humming as it churned away, doing its best to take the chill out of the room.

              Soon enough Ryder’s eyes were heavy. She let herself doze off, dreaming incoherently of snow and the _Tempest_ and having dinner with Gil Brodie.

              Someone leaning over her woke her, a gentle hand on her shoulder, “R…Ryder.” Cora shivered.

              Ryder blinked, “You made it back, Cor.” She smiled.

              But Cora was frowning, orange glowing across her skin, “W-where? Heater?” She shook her head with a chill that went through her body, a blanket was draped over her shoulders, “Are there more?”  
              “Uh…I kinda stole it. Barrowed. I don’t know.” Ryder scooted over, closer to Vetra who was surprisingly still asleep—probably drained from trying to keep her body warm, “Why?”

              “Freezing. Heat’s broken in the outpost and the storm is shit.” Cora’s jaw rattled, she bent her legs, sinking to the floor with her back pointed at the heater and quivering with cold. Ryder was thankful to have Vetra pressed against her back as she’d turned over at some point. Even if turians didn’t run as hot as humans, body heat was body heat.

              “Still?” Ryder slipped her hand from under the blankets to rub her eyes, immediately feeling the bite in the air even with the heater blasting at them. All she knew was that she didn’t want to be getting out of this spot to try and hunt down another heater in the middle of the night in the outpost when they were apparently an endangered species, “Just stay here.” She suggested, “Or I can look for another one with you, if you need.”

              “I’ve been looking around. There aren’t any. I think I will stay here.” Cora sighed, still crouched in front of the heater, she carefully stretched her legs out straight on the hard flooring.

              Ryder sighed, tiredly patted the bed beside her, “No. Not down on the metal it’s so cold. That’s not allowed. Get up here, you’re blocking the heat.”

              “Seriously?” Her second sounded less than impressed, not budging from her position.  

              “Shhh, Vetra’s sleeping.” Ryder whispered, “Get up here. Don’t make it weird.”

              Cora didn’t take a whole lot of convincing, “Budge over.” She muttered, the cheap cot sinking beneath the weight of a third person. Cora lay on her back, careful to leave space between them. Ryder reached out and felt her arm—cold even through her sleeve.

              “You’re so damn frozen.”

              “I know.” Cora shivered. Ryder reached out, meaning to touch her shoulder but instead missing and resting her palm on her face.

              “Aw, Cora, your nose is cold.”

              “Stop touching me. Turn over.” Ryder did as she was told and felt Vetra stir against her. Cora pressed her back against hers, “We are never speaking of this.”

              “Why not?” She muttered. Vetra reached her arm out, talons ending up on Cora’s bicep instead of Ryder’s. Vetra froze, pulling her hand back slowly.

              “Not your girlfriend, Nyx.” Cora groaned at her.

              “Harper?” Vetra sounded confused.

              “Don’t ask.” Cora muttered.

              “She was cold. I told her to stay.” Ryder yawned, “Can we get some sleep please?”

              But Vetra pushed herself up partially, so she could see over Ryder and look at Cora lying there beside her. She settled back in, apparently satisfied that it was indeed Cora and not some stranger, “Anyone else joining us in bed that I should know about? Lisana?” Vetra sounded amused with herself at the suggestion.

              “Why Lisana?” Cora muttered.

              “Because it’s her heater and this is Ryder.” Vetra said.

              “Why do you have Lisana’s heater?” Cora asked her.

              “Why are you asking me questions in the middle of the night?” She hid her face against Vetra’s chest, closing her eyes.

              “She …barrowed it.” Vetra yawned, “But it’s making this whole mess a lot more tolerable.”

              “True. Do you think I’d be subjecting myself to this without it?” Cora sighed.

              Ryder turned, accidently flopping her arm over Cora’s waist in their limited space, “Come on, I’m not that bad.”

              “Will you turn around and stop making it weird?” Cora pressed her fingertips against Ryder’s cheek, pushing her back over, “Your face is really dry.” She gripped Ryder’s cheeks for a moment, running her thumb over her chapped nose.

              “Sorry I left my lotion in my other space suit.” She grumbled, “Stop poking my face. Whose idea was this planet?” Cora retracted her hand.

              “Do random people join you in bed often, Ryder?” Vetra snarked, and Ryder didn’t blame her for not exactly being happy about waking up to a third person there. Even if it was just Cora.

              “No. Jeez. Ladies, keep it together here.”

              “At least you’re warm in the middle.” Vetra replied softly.

              “You want to trade places?”

              “Nope.”

              “Come on, it’s just Cora.”

              “Ryder.” Cora warned.

              “It could’ve been Liam is what I’m saying.” Ryder teased, but sensed the women around her weren’t keen for a joking session.

              “Let’s not think about that.” Vetra felt her way to Ryder’s arm and moved her hand to her hip, gripping cautiously as apparently not to cuddle up to Cora on mistake again.

               “Stop making it weird, guys.”

               “Ryder, you are one-hundred percent the one making this weird.” Cora groaned. Though, even back to back, Cora felt cold. Ryder hoped Liam had found somewhere warm for the night to settle in. Knowing him that place was in the common area, talking shit with a pile of turians gathered around a heater.

              “Nobody else is getting in this bed.” Vetra said after a while, “Everyone go to sleep.”

\--

Thanks for reading my silly little chapter. (HC: Liam totally walked in on this, laughed his ass off, and took a picture and they all look like a Nyquil commercial. I wish I could draw lol. ) Hope some of y’all are still as OBSESSED with MEA as I am and enjoyed this goofy little thing.

Side note: this was totally inspired by the Grey’s Anatomy episode where Cristina gets in bed with Meredith and Derrek.

Edit: for your viewing pleasure here is the Grey's scene. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0rkYg3_3ls

             


	9. Bolt Cutters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ryder, Cora and Vetra get themselves into a sticky situation on Kadara Port

**Chapter 9: Bolt Cutters**

**In which Cora, Vetra and Ryder get in a sticky situation on Kadara.**

**(This chapter is really random ~~and a little stupid~~** **if that's not your cup o tea just a heads up)**

**(If we learned one thing from Mad Max: Fury Road the most useful implement to own is a set of bolt cutters. Maybe this crew should take a lesson from that. And keep theirs more handy.)**

**CW: Accidental Hallucinogenic Use/Bad trips**

**Also I’m amusing myself endlessly with these flashback chapters (it’s also a bit of a crack chapter). So enjoy:**

              Suvi inhaled the steam and held the cup against her belly. Shore leave. Kadara Port wasn’t the best place in this galaxy for that, but they took what they could get. Especially being on the crew of an overworked Pathfinder. She set the tea cup down on the railing, stretching her arms above her head the way Lexi taught her.

              Meditation was supposed to be relaxing. She had to get better at it—slowing her mind down, existing in the moment of this beautiful red sunrise. Long shadows casting over the tall, jagged rock formations. 

              Suvi tested the tea again, cooled enough to sip without burning the roof of her mouth. _Beautiful. So beautiful here._ It was the only thing she allowed herself to think. Purely away from work— enjoying the port for what it was. Omni-tool off and in her locker. Only Liam was on the ship with her, and he was still sleeping.

              Quiet for the first time in months.

              Suvi shut her eyes. The weight of the mug was warm and comforting—scent of the tea reminiscent of her mother’s home.

              _“Oh fucker, can you guys stop it!”_

 _“Ryder! People are sleeping!”_ That was Cora. Suvi tuned them out.

              _“Where are the bolt cutters?”_

              _“I don’t think we have bolt cutters!”_

 _“Are we supposed to use a fucking handsaw?! Ow! You’re hurting me.”_ Ryder whispered frantically, her voice echoed from below the conference room.

              Vetra characteristically sounded the calmest of the bunch: _“Sorry, Ryder. Harper…please tell me we have bolt cutters on this ship. What about in engineering?”_  Some unintelligible words exchanged which Suvi knew well enough were her fellow _Tempest_ ladies getting snarky with each other.  She didn’t eavesdrop. Ryder’s rare shore leaves had a habit of turning into more work for her boss than normal days were. Suvi gazed at the sunrise and worked her stretching—opening her spine, increasing the blood flow to her muscles.

              Picture perfect. A divine display if she’d ever seen one: Kadara’s sky was a pastel of reds, oranges and yellows. Rays of light streaking behind the cliffs, illuminating golden patches of the clouds. Halos of light behind tendrils of wild grasses.

              “Well we better have a bolt cutter or else we’ll have to cut off our wrists with _handsaws_ like what happened in that old horror vid!” Ryder cried as dramatically as if someone was about to take a handsaw to her, “You know what I’m talking about? The one where those guys are kidnapped by a serial killer and they have to cut off their feet with handsaws? Don’t you guys watch vids?”

              “Not the ones you watch, clearly.” Cora sounded repulsed. And they were coming up the stairs. Suvi did her best to ignore them.

              “Wouldn’t that be our  ‘hands’ not our ‘wrists’? Sounds like an awful vid.” Vetra muttered, “And you wouldn’t have any hands left.” Suvi turned around when it sounded like someone tumbled down the stairs. They were tangled in a bundle of arms, standing and staring at her.

              Suvi realized they were all connected. Handcuffed in a chain with Ryder in the middle. She was facing backwards, arms crossed over her chest as her wrists were connected to the other two women. “Hey, Suvi.” Vetra said as if it were perfectly normal, “How’s your morning?”

              “What happened? Looks like you need a cup of coffee, Vetra.” She was hunched over, probably from being attached to two relatively short human women.

              “Don’t worry about it.” Cora said, “Any idea where the bolt cutters are?”

              “We moved all the tools into the storage compartments in Liam’s room.” Vetra made a displeased noise at the information.  Suvi set down her tea, “Don’t we have a handcuff key somewhere? Liam might have one.”

              “These are the supped up biotic-proofed ones.” Cora told her, “They only open with a special magnetic keys.”

              “Ryder. Untwist before you fall down the stairs?” Suvi suggested. And thus started a clump of swearing women wiggling around each other, “No…Just turn…Never mind.” They were a little beyond logical coaching.

              “A cup of coffee sounds great about now.” Vetra sighed, “Owe you one?” She looked desperately at Suvi before returning her attention to Ryder trying to uncross her arms while yanking on Cora who cringed in pain and then both her and Ryder yelped.

              “Ow Cora!”

              “I’m sorry! Force of habit!” They must have gotten shocked by the anti-biotics cuffs.

              “I felt that over here. Can we not on the biotics, please?”

              “Oh at least you’re made of leather, Nyx.”

              “I still _feel_ that. It travels through Ryder.”

              “I’m glad my body is being used as a conductor!”            

              “Not…intentionally.” Vetra flared her mandibles.

              And Suvi saw her way out: “How about I get you a cup of coffee?” She slipped around them and down the stairs, “Liam has the bolt cutters!”

\--

              She, Vetra and Cora managed to untwist themselves enough to sit on Liam’s couch. He snickered, digging through the storage compartments in his room, “Don’t tell me you lost them.” Vetra groaned. At least she was a turian—her skin around the cuff wasn’t sporting the lovely shade of raw red which Ryder and Cora’s was.

              “Hey at least you have a free hand. Both of you do.” Ryder complained. Vetra picked at a rotting spot on the couch.

              “Vetra!” Liam snapped, “If you hurt my couch I’ll cut you free last!”

              She stopped what she was doing, turning to look at him and pulling Ryder’s wrist again, “Please. Tell me we have something that can cut these off.”

              “We do.” He assured, “But unless you guys are up for letting me use a blow torch”, he pointed the wrench in his hand at them, “we’re going to have to look because we haven’t used the bolt cutters once!”

              “Sorry…For waking you up.” Ryder muttered.

              “You’re lucky I like you.” Liam laughed again, “But this is the best thing I’ve seen in a while. Especially when Ryder was stuck facing backwards.”

              “Can you just find the bolt cutters, please!”

              “I don’t see you helping me look, Vetra!”

              Suvi knocked on Liam’s open door, smiling and holding two mugs. One of which she handed to Vetra, “You’re a lifesaver.” Vetra relaxed into the couch.

              “Consider it repayment for getting me extra popcorn.” Suvi sat on the TV stand.

              “You brought her a cup of coffee?” Ryder couldn’t help be jealous of that cup of coffee.

              “I asked.” Vetra smiled and sipped on her drink.

              “Can I have a sip?”

              “No.” Vetra held the cup up as if she was afraid Ryder was going to reach for it, “It’s dextro.”

              “Hold up. Why didn’t I get a cup of coffee, Anwar?” Cora teased.

              “Well you didn’t ask.” Suvi shrugged, “How long is this going to be? Do you need one?”

              “What about me?” Ryder feigned whining.

              “You don’t have any free hands.” Cora said.

              “Fine. Then I get a sip of yours.”

              “With what hand are you going to hold it?”

              “You can hold it up to my mouth.” Ryder told her.

              Cora snorted, “Oh, can I now?”

              “You’re my XO!” She protested. The horrible noise of a crow bar which had fallen out of the compartment and clattered to the floor.

              “Helping you drink out of a cup is not a part of my job.”

              Ryder turned to Vetra, “Don’t look at me, I’m holding my cup and I can’t hold a second.”  

              Suvi stood, apparently going to the crew quarters, “Wait!” Liam held out his hand to her, a crash as he’d accidently pulled everything from the latest storage locker. They collectively cringed, “She’ll get you a cup of coffee if you tell us what happened. Fair?”

**Seven Hours Earlier:**

“Kralla’s Song? Really?” Cora wasn’t one for bars, especially not the seedy kind that were present on Kadara Port. Ryder knew that well enough about her. Cora was a champagne tastes sort of woman as much as she’d never admit that to them.  Maybe because it was the sort of thing she never got growing up—she was thirsty for it.

              “Yeah, yeah. High-class-hauler-kid and all that?” Vetra teased, leaning over the bar, “Come on. The asari wear off on you that much?” Ryder brushed her hip against Vetra’s thigh

              “I didn’t know we were doing drinks on Kadara.” Cora told them, turning to Ryder, “Thought we were taking shore leave at the Nexus. Not that I’m complaining.”

              “Yeah, yeah.” Ryder waived at the bar tender. A new asari, one she didn’t know, “I promised I’d buy you guys a drink, right? After loosing that bet. But Peebee had a date with Remtech at the outpost and couldn’t be bothered. So she’s missing out.”

              They ordered their drinks and sat at the bar, hidden in the corner. Kadara wasn’t so dangerous as it once was now that they’d handled the issues between the Collective and Outcasts, but still not a place to let your guard down.

              “So you and Scott text?” Ryder asked Cora, who sipped on her drink and shrugged her shoulders. She set the glass down, fixating somewhere beyond the bar.

              “You and I text.”

              “About work only.” Ryder protested, “Come on. He says he has a girlfriend and I don’t know who.”

              Cora pressed her lips together, “So I’m the default?”

              Vetra stifled a laugh into her drink.

              “Hey, come on Vetra. Cora’s hot, isn’t she?”

Cora rolled her eyes, “Please don’t go there, Vetra.”

“Not going there, Harper. You know Ryder makes everything weird.”

“Oh, grow up you two.” Ryder scoffed, leaning against Vetra’s shoulder, “Scott’s my twin brother. So obviously he isn’t a bad looking kid.”

“If I move, you’re going to fall.” Vetra adjusted herself, letting Ryder lean against her carapace.

“Please don’t?”

“I’d pay you to let her fall on the floor right now if I wouldn’t loose my job.”  Cora finished her glass, “You two going to let me drink alone or get on it? Keep up, will you.”

“That sounded like a challenge.” Vetra drawled and tossed back the remainder of her own. She set Ryder upright, going about the task of walking around the bar to flag down the lonesome overworked tender.

 _“WHATTHEFUCKISTHAT!?”_  Finished by the piercing shriek of an asari. A strange puff of yellow powder that reminded Ryder of stomping on wild mushrooms with Scott as a child. And if anything caught Harper’s attention: it was the sound of a distressed asari. Cora stood and stepped toward the commotion.

 _“Shit! My samples!”_ A human man cried, gathering the backpack oozing powder into his arms and sneezing.

Cora sneezed too, face buried in the crook of her arm. Ryder ran her fingers over the polished wood of the bar. The man with the backpack darted from out the door, leaving a trail of yellow dust. _Guess the show’s over._ She wasn’t sure she wanted to know what was in his bag. But, scrawny humans gathering their things and retreating from confrontation rather than facing it did not tend to be public enemies. Ryder swallowed her last gulp of beer—watery, tasteless crap.

That was what passed as suitable drinking in Andromeda.   

Something unpleasantly sweet was on her tongue, as if she was tasting the smell of rotten fruit. _Fucking Kadara._ Probably was something she’d accidently gotten at the bottom of the glass. _Ugh._ She needed another drink to wash it down. Vetra and Cora meandered back to the spot where they’d staked their claim, “See that weirdo with the backpack?”

“Yeah. Ignore it and it will go away?” Cora tried, “Ugh, that shit has the weirdest sweet smell. You don’t think it’s dangerous, do you?”

The bar rippled, water running over the surface. She looked for the source but was unable to see it. “What’s on the bar?”

“Huh?” Cora was looking the opposite direction.

“What’s wrong with the bar?” Vetra’s head cocked sideways and she stared at the ceiling, “Have the lights always moved like that?”

“The water.” She reached out and the surface was startlingly dry.

              One drink. One drink should not be making her feel like this. Vetra was making a strange rumbling sound beside her—confused.

              **Ryder. We might have a problem.** SAM came over their private channel. But something was off in his voice— struggling to articulate what he wanted to get across to her.

              _“You okay, SAM?”_

              **The powder released from the scientist’s dropped samples appears to be hallucinogenic in nature. I suggest getting fresh air immediately.**

              _Shit. Shit, shit._ “Hey, Vetra? Cora?”

              “What?” Cora asked her, eyes half opened. She slid off her stool, steadying herself on the bar.

              “We need some air! Now!”

              She could swear water was running down the bar, along the grains of the wood, as if someone had set a hose on the surface and let it run.

              Cora just looked concerned, releasing her grip slowly, “I think…I think something’s wrong.” Her biotics sparked, violet bursts from the tips of her fingertips.

              “Don’t worry! Outside! We need to go out!” But it was so hard to reach for Cora, everything was moving slow. Punctuated by a ball of flailing limbs which was Vetra, falling down and desperately clawing for a barstool to right herself. She ended up pulling it on top of her.

              “There is so much dust in here, Ryder.” She stared, wide-eyed at the lights, unmoving from the floor, “Why didn’t I notice it earlier? The lights shouldn’t be moving!”

              **Lieutenant Harper was several meters closer to the site of dispersal. Ms. Nyx was also nearer and as a turian lacks ability to hold her breath. Inference can be made both were dosed much higher during initial contact.**

              “Okay.” Ryder tried not to notice the dust, the way it was catching the light, and sparkling and surrounding them, “Ladies, girls’ night is over… Back to the _Tempest_ we go. Vetra stand up. The dust won’t hurt you.”

              “It’s beautiful.” Vetra told her, raising a hand to grab at it.

              Cora burst out laughing, “It’s so pretty! I’ve never noticed!”

              Maybe the universe was looking out for them, but somehow they made it out of Kralla’s Song. Limping their way to the Outcast headquarters while the walls were melting, “Keep moving! The floor is melting! We’re going to sink!” Ryder warned and couldn’t help herself from screaming when Cora reached out and touched one of the walls.

              It was too horrible to think of— Cora being burned by the molten ripples which were once the sheet metal. She shut her eyes and clenched her teeth, “CORA!”

              “What’s wrong? We have to get to the ship! But there are too many people in the way!” Cora told her, “They’re blocking us, aren’t they?”

              “We won’t be able to get through! The walls are melting too fast!” How Cora hadn’t gotten stuck or maimed was beyond her, but Ryder tried to clear her head.

              “We’ll hurry up!” Vetra told them, “The dust! There’s more of it this way! We should go this way!” And Ryder wasn’t opposed to getting anywhere else. Anywhere that the walls weren’t melting and the people that Cora saw weren’t blocking the path. They found their way into an alcove.

              _Holy shit. I’m tripping my balls off._ Cora was pressed against the wall, melting into it, and Ryder tried to push her off but she didn’t budge. At least they were off the main path.

              “Whoa, whoa.” A familiar voice, uncharacteristically concerned. Kaetus making his round, “What’s going on here? Pathfinder meeting?”

              “The walls!” Ryder cried, “They’re melting!”

              Vetra sank to the ground and closed her eyes, “We’re not…We’re okay. I just need a break.”

              Something red fluttered on the wind, past the alcove where they’d run across Kaetus. He said nothing, staring at them. Hadn’t he seen what flew by? Ryder pointed, “A cardinal!” She cried, “A bird! From Earth!”

              Sudden vivid memories of holiday dinner with her family. The smell of the cookies Scott burned. The piercing shriek of the fire alarm from the burnt cookies. A cardinal outside the window, “Didn’t you see it?” Ryder felt the tears rolling down her face, “It was a cardinal! It came all of the way to Andromeda!”

              “Pathfinder?” Kaetus stepped forward, gripping her arm, “Look at me.”

              She wiped her eyes desperately, “Did the bird hurt you?” Cora gasped.

              “Where did you guys come from?” He moved to Vetra, nudging her on the ground, “What happened?”

              “The _Tempest._ We came from the _Tempest!”_ Vetra snapped, “And _what_ is crawling all over the port? Keep them off me!” Her face  pressed into one of her hands, “Ryder?” She grouped out with her other. 

              And Ryder wanted to go to her. But her feet had sunk into the metal and she couldn’t move.

              “It’s going to be okay. The people can’t see us here.” Cora came to her side and Ryder pressed her face into her shoulder.

              “Why did the bird fly away? How did it fly to Andromeda?” Ryder tired to push the emotion out of her voice, “I don’t understand.”

              Keatus’ shadow crossed them, “Think you can stand?” He asked Vetra, who screamed again about insects.  Meanwhile Cora pulled away from her and darted backward.

              “ADHI!”

              “It’s in a cage!” Kaetus spun around, holding out his hands, “Stay here, you’re safe here! It’s okay! Everything’s okay!” But Ryder heard the traces of fear in his voice. Everything was so sharp—each note of his subvocals, the trembles in his hands.  He was scared. Probably because the port was melting.

              “There was a cardinal!” Ryder sobbed into her forearm. Vetra crawled to her, arms wrapped around her knees and face hidden in her thigh.

              _“They’re everywhere!”_ She moaned, gripping Ryder. Her warm breaths on her legs. Ryder patted her head.

              “Kaetus! The walls!”

              “Alright. Come with me.” Kaetus sighed, grabbing Cora by the arm before she could scoot away, “The walls…aren’t melting. I’ll take you somewhere safe. But everyone needs a bracelet so we can walk together!” He pulled out a set of handcuffs.

              “But I’m stuck in the floor!”

              “Okay yep. We’re wearing bracelets.” Kaetus said. Ryder couldn’t understand how that would help anything in this situation.

              --

              “By the time we got to Kaetus both of you were crying, not just Ryder.” By that point Suvi had brought Cora her coffee.

              “I thought the floor was melting and we were all going to die.” Ryder sighed.

              “I was not crying.” Cora grumbled, “Where the hell are those cutters!?”

              “He only had two sets of handcuffs and we kept wandering off so he put us in a chain.” Ryder explained, “But then they didn’t have a key, apparently.”

              “My ass.” Cora groaned, “How would they not have a key!”

              “We spent the night in Sloane’s prison so high we couldn’t find our mandibles.” Vetra stared at her lap. Ryder wondered if her own mandibles were permanently flared out with how hard she was blushing this entire conversation, “She was not happy. Had to get the last word in somehow. At least they didn’t throw us out in the desert to sober up.”

              Ryder laughed, “Cora talked to the sink half the night thinking it was the goddess.”

              “I did not! Not funny!”  

              “We were in the same cell!” Ryder cried, “You did too!”

              “Yeah. You did.” Vetra agreed.

              “Shut up, Nyx. You thought the light bulbs were trying to interrogate you.”

              “Truce.” Vetra huffed.

              “For once I was way more sober than you people.” Ryder shook her head. 

              “Ryder. You were crying about a cardinal and the walls for at least an hour and we were literally stuck to you.” Cora shook the cuff attaching them again, “Liam?”

              “Got them.”      

              He came to the couch, holding up a set, “Who’s first?”

              “Do you know what you’re doing with those?” Vetra demanded. He went to her wrist first.

              “As long as you hold still.”

              “Ow, Liam! What are you doing!”

              “I’ll trim your plates later, just let me cut the cuff!” He muttered.

              “Liam!” She yanked her hand away, dragging Ryder sideways in the process.  

              “If it wouldn’t hurt my hand more than it would hurt your plates, I would smack you. Now give me your hand.”

              “Have Suvi do it!” Vetra hissed.

              “Are you serious?” Liam spat back at her.

              “I swear. Both of you.” Cora growled. The voice of Cora being very unamused, “let him do it.”

              Vetra grumbled something before clenching her mandibles to her face and closing her eyes. The snap of Liam cutting the cuffs free. Ryder was glad to feel the weight separate from her wrist.

              Vetra climbed off the couch and stood behind it, supervising while Liam cut the rest of the cuffs, “You’re the best, Liam.” Ryder heaved a sigh, “Dammit that sucked. We’re never talking about that.”

              “Agreed.” Cora edged for the door.

              “I need a shower.” Vetra groaned and slipped around her.

\--

              Later, freshly showered, Ryder joined Vetra who was already waiting in her quarters, “So much for shore leave, huh?” Vetra was sitting on the couch, long legs curled beneath her, toes gripping the edge of the cushion.

              “I’m sorry.”

              “Wasn’t your fault.”

              The two of them met eyes and snorted with laughter, “Cora is so pissed.”

              “Not at you. At whoever that asshole was with the backpack. On what planet was that a good idea?” Vetra slid down from the couch, coming and wrapping her arms around Ryder. Her chin rested on her head. Talons gently brushed from her elbow to her hand.

              “I know. I’m mad at him too.” Ryder sighed, “Can we call a redo for tonight?”

              “Yeah. I’d like that.” Vetra nuzzled her, “Let’s go to the outpost tonight. Pretend like none of this happened?” 

              “Our last night off. Yeah. Good idea.” Ryder yawned, “Now if you don’t mind. I’m getting some sleep.”

\--

Thanks for reading! : ) Leave a comment or kudos!


	10. Pampering

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Ryder gives Vetra some much deserved pampering.

**Chapter 10:**

**Pampering: In which Ryder and Vetra have a bit of downtime.**

**Sorry it’s been a while since this updated. Hope you enjoy : )**

“It’s so annoying.” Vetra twitched her head sideways and groaned, rubbing her talon along the edge of her face plate.

“Well, come here. I’ll get it out.” Ryder looked up from her tablet. Using areal shots of the Elaaden outpost to attempt to estimate exile supplies for Addison went far better in theory than reality.

Sandstorms and plates were an equally bad combination as sand with soft skin, it turned out. Maybe worse even. Ryder didn’t have plates that sand got caught beneath, “I just need to mess with our water pressure.”

“Oh, the Nexus crew is going to fix the water issue tomorrow. It’s a pain. Don’t worry about it.” Having to shower the last two days beneath a dribble of water had been the bane of their collective existences, especially after being on Elaaden. Especially with gale force winds. But now they were barreling toward a dry dock and the promise of a plumber to fix their pump’s prime (or rather lack thereof).  

“I think I’d rather get the sand out from behind my face plate.” Vetra turned her head sideways again. Her skin was sensitive beneath the plates, and she looked like she was doing her best not to twitch again.

“Where are your brushes? Bring them.” Ryder said, patting the bed. Like most turians, Vetra had a set of stiff-bristled brushes which she used to buff and clean between her plates, “I’ll do it.”

“You don’t need to do that.” Vetra flared her mandibles, “I’m just complaining. I’ll get it out. Annoying is all.”

              “Stop it. I want to.” Ryder stuffed the rest of her ration bar in her mouth, talking between full cheeks, “Aren’t they in here?”

              “No. They’re in the armory. Why would they be in here?”

              “I don’t know, you stay here a lot of nights.” Ryder shrugged her shoulders.

              Vetra returned holding her soft purple case with a few steel handled brushes, a round sponge on a handle which she’d seen Vetra scrub her nose and mandibles with, and lotions. _Standard turian beauty kit._ To Ryder, some of the brushes felt painfully stiff, but she doesn’t have ridged spikes on her body.

              “Ok, come here.” Ryder patted the bed again, sitting down and pulling the towel she used for her hair into her lap. Vetra sat on the edge of the bed, refusing to bend her stiff posture.

              “What?” She rubbed at the side of her face plate, one mandible sticking out and brow furrowed. She was damp from her shower, smelling of angaran flowers from the soap Jaal traded her for something or other.

              “Does it hurt?”

              “No…Well, yeah…it’s getting to me.” Vetra turned her head sideways, and Ryder laughed, “I need water pressure to get it out.”

              “Sorry. I guess I’ve never seen you this twitchy.”

              Vetra seemed substantially less amused than Ryder, “You’re not allowed to laugh because you’ve never had sand stuck under your face. It’s stuck as hell from that wind.”

              “Ugh.” Ryder decided when Vetra put it that way, even entertaining the thought was pretty unpleasant. She patted the towel in her lap, “Lay your head down, let me dig it out.”

              “You really want to touch sand that’s been under my plates?”

              “It’s sand. And you’re the cleanest person I know.” Ryder told her, “Yeah, I do.” Vetra handed her the thin, stiff brush and a wash towel. Vetra, still holding one of her mandibles out, sunk onto her stomach.

              She stayed on her elbows, not quite sinking into Ryder’s lap, “You sure? You don’t want me to mess with the water pressure in the shower?”

              “Yes. If you’re okay with it.” Ryder gripped the back of Vetra’s arms, tugging her forward, “Why are you so tense?”

              “I don’t want to squish you.”

              “You’re not going to. Lay down.” Ryder ordered her, unable to see at the back Vetra’s face plate with her leaning up on her elbows. Vetra sighed and settled her head down uneasily into Ryder’s lap. She smiled at her and traced her fingers over her head. Turian skin was warm, feeling like soft leather at the back of her head and between her plates.

              “You okay with me doing this?” If Vetra was uneasy about it, Ryder certainly didn’t want to force her into a situation which would cause her more discomfort than she was already in.

              “Yes.” But her word was muffled by the pillow against the side of her mouth. Vetra stared at her with a wide, green eye.

              “You look freaked out.”

              “You’re looming over me with a brush that you’re holding like a knife.”

              Ryder laughed at that, “You are so dramatic.”

              “That’s just an observation.” Vetra protested, “Alright, you know what you’re doing?”

              She had seen Vetra brush around her face plates as a part of her nighttime rituals, more than once as the two tended to spend their sleeping time together, “I just use it like a brush, right? I’ll be really gentle.” Beneath and in the small seams between plates her skin was very sensitive.

              “Yes. Please.”

              “Do turians do this for each other?” Ryder put her hand on the side of Vetra’s face, carefully adjusting her head to see where she was working. She dipped the stiff hairs on the brush between Vetra’s skin and plate.

              “Yes. It’s…pretty intimate, actually. Close family and close couples only.”

              “You sure you’re okay with it?”

              “Yes. I like you doing it. Just haven’t had anyone really do it since my mother taught me how to, and she was a bit…heavy handed. You…on the other hand, have to get more aggressive.” Vetra told her, talons wrapped around Ryder’s thigh.

              “Not Sid?”

              “Oh, sure, Sid. She was always more into the cosmetics, though. She’d want to when she was young. Shine my mandibles and talons. All that.”

              Ryder smiled as Vetra pressed her face into her lap.  She pressed harder on the bristles while Vetra rested in her lap.

              “Not hurting you, am I?”

              “No. That’s good.” Vetra hummed, “It’s nice.”

              Instead of staring at Ryder like she was going to stab her, Vetra closed her eyes and turned her face further into Ryder’s lap, allowing her better access. Ryder steadied her with one hand and brushed behind her mandibles, finding a chunk of gravel stuck between her face plate and skin. 

              “Well it’s basically a boulder not a piece of sand.” She brushed a bit harder, “Let me know if I hurt you.”       

              “No wonder it’s hurting.” Ryder stopped immediately.

“Me or the rock?”

“The rock. Use the handle. My talons are too wide.” No wonder she was walking around with a mandible stuck out. Ryder turned the brush around, using the narrow, pointed end and prying it loose. Vetra let her mandible slacken.

“That’s better.”

“Glad I could help.” Ryder rested her hand on Vetra’s head, knowing Vetra well enough that once one favor was done for her she’d immediately try to stop receiving favors. Vetra pushed herself up anyway, “Hey. Come back here.” She gripped her cheeks with both hands, running her thumbs over her mandibles. Ryder leaned in and pressed her forehead against Vetra’s, “Can I pamper you a bit? For once? Brush off your plates?”

“You want to?”

Ryder pressed a kiss to her forehead, “Of course I do, love. Lie down.”

And after only a moment of hesitation Vetra did, resting the side of her face into Ryder’s lap while drawing her legs and arms up comfortably. She hummed with contentment and closed her eyes. Ryder enjoyed her weight resting on her thighs and hummed herself, trying to match the turian content noise but it wasn’t the right tone.

They were silent for several minutes, Ryder gently running the brush behind Vetra’s plates. Vetra’s hand dropped from her knee. Completely relaxed now, breathing rhythmically. “You’re so beautiful.” Ryder muttered to her, and when she didn’t get a reply— realized Vetra was asleep.

She reached to set the brush she was using back into her kit, resting one hand on Vetra’s head and settling herself back against the stack of pillows, “Get some sleep. You deserve it.” Ryder muttered, “SAM? Turn the lights off?”

 ** _Of course, Pathfinder._** He answered privately, the lights dimming and cutting out in her cabin.

 _‘She’s earned some sleep. She never sleeps.’_ Ryder directed her thoughts to him.

**_Yes. Organics of all species need sleep. And many of your crew neglect theirs._ **

_‘It’s a busy job.’_  Ryder did her best to settle herself into a more comfortable position. Soon enough her leg might fall asleep and she’d have to wake Vetra to move. But until then she was determined to catch a catnap for herself.

She stared at her ceiling and eventually dosed with the feeling of Vetra’s breath on her thigh.   

\--

**Thanks for reading! Feel free to drop me a comment or request. Or come flail with me about MEA on tumblr: Jkit45**


	11. High Heels

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ryder and Vetra try to have a good time in the Nomad. NSFW.

Given to me as a simple suggestion by: **rel-suyah** on tumblr to have Ryder and Vetra discuss the differences in their feet. And it got way out of hand and took on a life on its own. Oops.

This shares a sister chapter with my Cora fic: _Because We Can._ In case you’re wondering what Cora was actually doing during all of this. It will be posted soon. ; )

Side note—I don’t know if turians have canonically accepted anatomical terms but I call their tarsus a ‘hock’.

**Chapter 11:**

**High Heels**

In which Vetra and Ryder try to have a good time in the Nomad. I apologize in advance.

**NSFW 18+ ONLY smut please and ty**

**WILL PROOFREAD MORE TONIGHT**

 

              “We don’t have time for this.” Vetra tried, but the protest was cut off by Ryder’s lips on hers. It didn’t matter if Vetra had plates. There was something amazingly thrilling about kissing her. Ryder moved sideways, pressing her lips again to her mandible—more sensitive than the turian version of lips were, “Ryder—”

              “Oh, come on.” She turned her head sideways for a moment to mutter the words into Vetra’s ear, immediately bringing her mouth to Vetra’s neck. The woman tightened her grip around her waist as she dragged her teeth over the relatively soft skin free of plates. Ryder straddled her, one of her pumps falling from her foot onto the backseat floor of the _Nomad._ “Where’s your sense of…” Another pause, punctuated by the beautiful noise Vetra made when she bit down, “ _adventure?”_

              “Late to meet with Addison?” But the arousal rattled in Vetra’s subvocals, “She’d never forgive you.” There was amusement in that statement.

              Ryder laughed, “We have a whole hour.”

              “Give her an aneurism instead of Tann?”

              It took Ryder a moment to place that reference to the email Vetra had sent her, and when the connection was made she snorted with laughter, “Well they both know about us, and last we heard they’re both kickin’. Now, Vetra, let me do all sorts of filthy things to you—”

              Ryder went to pull back forgot how small this space was—she cracked the back of her head and shoulders on the ceiling of the vehicle, swearing.

              “You okay?” Vetra moved her hand up, rubbing the back of Ryder’s head.

              “Ow. Yes. Where was I?”

              “Filthy things. Nexus leadership having aneurisms. Should I…try to lay back?” Vetra shifted herself sideways, spur catching on the heel of Ryder’s other shoe and knocking it to join its mate on the floor, “Why are you wearing those damn things?”

              “Because they make my legs look sexy.”

              “Make you look like you have hocks? Not complaining.” Vetra preened along her collar bone, knocking down one of the sleeves on her sundress. Business casual required for meetings: rule change courtesy of Nexus leadership.  The pinching of her mouth on her soft skin made Ryder twitch her hips.

              “Yeah…I guess.” She never really thought of it that way. Making her look like she had hocks, “But I mean…I have heels, and ankles. We don’t really call them ‘hocks’.”

              One of Vetra’s hands came to her bare foot, running a talon over the pad of her heel, “Looks a bit painful to walk down on them like that. I think about it sometimes.”

              “Walking on your heels?”

              “I’ve tried to walk on my _hocks_ it’s not that enjoyable.” Vetra said.

              “Well my toes are killing me from standing on them.” Ryder wiggled them beneath Vetra’s fingers. Her girlfriend gripped her food and rubbed.

              “Not better balance standing on your toes then? Jaal and I were wondering.”

              “Purely fashion.” Ryder scowled, “Sort of painful but I like the look of it.”

              “Seems…like a hinderance.”

              “Oh it is.” Ryder agreed, pressing her foot into Vetra’s hand and sighing happily while she pressed the pads of her toes gently. She rubbed gently, working movement back into Ryder’s sore toes, unaccustomed to wearing such impractical footwear.

              “Why?”

              “Because I like them.”

Vetra’s hand moved up her ankle and then across her calf, stopping to stroke her knee.

              “Come on, V. We’ve only got an hour.” Ryder urged her, rolling her hips against Vetra’s waist. As much as she enjoyed taking their time on other occasions, they had to be fast if they were going to do this now.

              “Impatient, are you?” There was that amused rumbling again, green eyes piercing through Ryder’s.

              “Yes. I am.” She ground a little harder against Vetra’s waist, hoping to brush her crotch against her groin plates. With the damn small space of the _Nomad_ she struggled to get contact against where she needed it, but thankfully Vetra took the idea. She pulled Ryder in and pressed her own hips up. Ryder was back at Vetra’s neck, licking and nipping her way down to her scarf which she pulled off and tossed aside.

              Vetra’s hands continued moving, shoving Ryder’s skirt up further than it was already hiked, past her hips. Talons wrapped their way around the hem of her panties. An awkward roll to the side to let Vetra pull the scrap of fabric down her hips and off of her ankles.

              Ryder straddled Vetra’s legs again as she turned herself longwise on the seat, the turian’s head resting back against the window. She dipped her hand between slender, plated thighs, pressing hard with her fingertips overtop of Vetra’s groin plates— “Spirits, Ryder!”—already open from the feel of her through her civilian pants.

              “Ready? So fast?” She teased.

              “Coming from Ms. Impatient?” Vetra’s chuckle turned gasp when Ryder pressed against her again. Ryder unclasped Vetra’s pants and shoved them down as well as she could with the awkwardness of their position. She tried to bend down, desperate to put her mouth on Vetra and finish her off quickly, but found that the Nomad’s limited space wouldn’t let her bend in such a manner.

              _Plan b._ She’d used her fingers plenty of times. Thumb and forefinger circled Vetra’s hot, slick core, feeling her throb beneath her. She teased her for a moment, touching lightly around her opening until Vetra made an eager noise and Ryder pressed two fingers into her. Vetra closed her eyes and pressed her head back against the window, “’Ms. Impatient’?”

              “Mmhm, Ryder.” Vetra opened her thighs a bit wider and thrusted once up into her hand. One lanky leg draping over the back of the passenger seat, clawed toes curling. With her free hand she traced a finger up Vetra’s thigh, up until she was able to thrust with one hand and rub her clit with the other.

 Vetra opened her mouth and panted—turians didn’t sweat. They panted. Vetra had tried to hide her panting when they first were intimate until Ryder confessed to her she preferred her to show her natural reactions to her arousal. Apparently it was a source of insecurity for turians when coupling with other species.

              Tip of her tongue pressed between slightly parted teeth and mandibles flared, quick breaths in and out, “Damn, you’re cute when you make that face.” Ryder muttered, biting her own lip and dipping a third finger into Vetra. She pressed in to her knuckle, relishing in the keen Vetra made as she pulled out just as slowly, pressing hard on her front wall.

              “Spirits, Ryder.” But the words quivered with subvocal inflection, eyes still closed, “Keep doing that.”

              And Ryder did. Another slow thrust, not quite enough to finish Vetra yet, but she figured they had _some_ time to play. Especially when Vetra made faces as cute as the one she did when she was getting closer to her finish, “Good?”

              “Yes. Please. Ryder.” Vetra found a thrusting rhythm with her hips, coming to meet Ryder’s fingers as she moved them. Ryder brought her free hand back to Vetra again, pressing her clit at the front of her opening with her thumb while maintaining her thrusting rhythm. Vetra opened her mouth wider, “Don’t stop.”

              “’course not.” Ryder muttered, “Now come on, we have a meeting to get to, V.” She urged, “Come on, beautiful.” A harder press on her clit and another rake of her fingers over her slick front wall. Vetra quivered and jerked her hips, hands gipping hard on the bench. She clenched hard around Ryder’s hand, and she continued the movements gently through her climax, trying to urge the sensations on as long as Vetra could tolerate it.

              “Dammit, Ryder.” She muttered as she came down, unhooking her leg from over the seat and catching her spur for a moment until the two of them maneuvered enough to get her unstuck.

              Ryder withdrew her fingers, pressing a kiss onto Vetra’s lips again, “Not too claustrophobic in here?”

              “I think that worked pretty well.” Vetra seemed to be gaining her bearings back. She backed herself against the opposite window. Vetra folded long legs onto the floor of the backseat, smirking at Ryder. Clawed hands pressed her knees apart, slinging one over her carapace as she maneuvered herself halfway on the floor with her chest against the padding of the seat.

              Vetra preened against Ryder’s belly. She gasped out a whimper, louder than intended, “That hurt?” Vetra looked concerned for a moment. 

              “No. Just…tickled. Not used to it.” Ryder assured her, hand coming back to her head, wiggling her hips into a position where her girlfriend could better reach.

              But Vetra brought her mouth down to Ryder’s core, she did her best not to buck her hips at the first flick of her rough tongue, “Oh, V.” She sighed, closing her own eyes. A harder lick for the second one, “Oh, V. Come on.” Ryder found herself urging again.

              She’d halfway expected Vetra to stop and tease her for being impatient again, but they _were_ on a time constraint today. Vetra knew how to work her.  A talon pressed her opening before slipping inside, gently rotating her hand back and forth while continuing her tongue flicks over Ryder’s sensitive spot.

              “Oh, jeez, V. That’s good.” Ryder rubbed down the back of her neck, pressing the soft seams between plates.

              Vetra flicked her mandibles against Ryder, elicting another gasp from the Pathfinder, “Doing okay?”

              “Better than that.” Ryder inhaled through her teeth, “Fuck, V.”

              The sensations were slow and steady, “Need more?”

              “Please…” Damn, that sounded desperate but for some reason this whole situation, with Vetra in the backseat of the Nomad, was really doing it for her.

              After a few moments of maintaining her painfully slow rubbing, Vetra pressed harder, increasing her tempo and sending Ryder shattering through her peak within moments. Talons came to her hips, holding her steady while she bucked through her orgasm.

              They caught their breaths for a  moment, giggling at each other, perhaps at the sheer ridiculousness of what they were doing considering there was a meeting for Ryder to get to.

              “We need to do that more often.” Ryder said. Another few moments of them maneuvering themselves. Vetra did her best to wiggle back into her pants. The windows were steamed, Ryder realized, popping the door open.

              She crawled her way out, cringing as her bare feet came to the rocky Kadara soil but glad to stand and smooth the wrinkles from her skirt. She carefully arranged the straps on her shoulders, using her reflection in the passenger window to rearrange her hair. She reached in to grab one of her pumps but decided against putting on her foot. No point wearing heels out here—she would just sink into the sand.

              Vetra exited the vehicle a fair bit gracefully than she had, also needing to stand up to properly rearrange her rumpled clothes. She slammed the backseat door closed.

              Ryder jumped, and Vetra did too. Horror plain in Vetra’s face. A few moments of them both frozen before Vetra leapt for the handle and tugged it to no avail, “Aw, shit.” The turian muttered.

              **“Ryder. The electronic issue with the door locking was unable to be serviced last time the Nomad was docked at the Nexus, and the key is currently in your ‘clutch’ inside the console.”** SAM hummed to her.

              “No shit, SAM.” Ryder huffed, frustration in her voice directed at the situation more than anything else, “Are we fucking locked out? We get in and out of this thing all of the time!”

              Vetra trotted around to the driver’s door, tugging uselessly on it and swearing. Ryder swore too—nothing made you so aware of how barefoot and pantiless you were as being locked outside your vehicle in the Kadara wilds.

              **“Yes, Pathfinder.”** The machine answered after a pause.

              “What? SAM?” Vetra was sounding desperate now, tugging still on the handle, “You can’t override it?”

              **“I apologize. The ongoing technical locking issue is caused by a disconnect of the automatic locking system from the rest of the electrical systems of the vehicle. I cannot open it. The electronics for opening the door no longer function.”**

              “SAM! My shoe is in there!”

              “And your underwear.” Vetra cupped her hands around her eyes, peering inside.

              “Fuck!” Ryder joined her side, following her lead. Her thong sat on the back seat, as did one of her pumps, and Vetra’s scarf, “That doesn’t look obvious.”

              “Shit…sorry, Ryder.”

              “It’s not your fault. I should have just made Addison wait another day and gotten it rewired at the Nexus.” She pinched the bridge of her nose, letting out another stream of choice language, “Okay…this is fine. We’re not far from the outpost. We can walk.”

              “You don’t have a shoe.”

              “It’s not like I could walk across this desert in those anyway but I’m more concerned about going to meet Addison without underwear.”

              “Unless you were planning on hiking your skirt up—”

              **“Wind speeds currently at thirty knots.”** SAM hummed, **“Likely will ruffle clothing.”**

“SAM, I really don’t need that update.” But Ryder already found herself holding her skirt down as a gust of wind whipped passed them, “I can’t believe I’m about to walk up to Addison without shoes on.”

              “At least you won’t twist an ankle in those things.” Vetra stated dryly, “Is Cora around? Can she bring a screw gun and a slim jim? Or the spare key?”

              “I know Liam can.”

              “We are _not_ calling Liam. He’ll never let me live down closing that door.” Vetra sighed.

              “Vetra, I’m not going to let you live down closing that door with my underwear on the backseat.” Ryder tipped her forehead against the window.

              Okay, fine. Ryder would rather call Cora too. At least she had her omni-tool on. She selected Cora’s contact and the option to call her.

              It rang until it hit Cora’s voicemail, at which Ryder hung up and promptly called again. “She better pick up.” Vetra muttered, smoothing over her own clothes again.

              _“Ryder? Are you okay?”_

“Um…yeah…no actually…uh I need your help with something.”

              She saw Vetra cocking a brow at her awkwardness.

              _“Is it…an emergency?”_

              “Um…” Ryder glanced up at Vetra who shrugged, “I’d owe you one?”

              Cora made a sound as if her breath was catching in her throat, _“Is she alive?”_ And that wasn’t Cora’s voice.

              “Wait, who’s over at my hotel room?” Silence on the other side of the line met her, “Are you even still at my hotel?”

              _“Yes…uh…Ryder. I’m on shore leave. If it’s an emergency I’ll come—”_

“Forget it.” Ryder felt guilty, suddenly. Cora didn’t get a lot of time off. Who was she to demand that she come out into the desert to deal with this?

              _“No..wait—”_

              But the beeping tone of the call being dropped. The remnant might have cleaned the atmosphere but the electronic currents put out by the monoliths wreaked havoc on communications, especially with Kadara’s mountains. She slipped the shoe she had on out of habit and then stood unevenly.

               “You going to keep that on?” Vetra asked her and after one step sinking her heel completely into the sand, Ryder swore and ripped it off of her foot, “Want me to call Liam?”

              “Think we can convince Cora to get us in one of the outpost rovers?”

              “Yes.”

              And that was that. Liam would laugh for days over this ‘incident’. And if he knew, then Jaal would know. And if Jaal knew something the whole Initiative knew it.  

              Another call to Cora, who picked up,“Uh, so hey. Cora, I need you to do me a favor—”

              “A what?” Cora’s voice was distant on the bad reception, tinny with static over the speaker on her omnitool.

              “A favor.” Ryder made her voice louder, exaggerating the annunciation of her words.

              “…Busy….are you okay?”

              “Harper.” Vetra leaned in, “I will get you asari chocolate. Or that ‘Jack Daniels’ stuff. Or whatever you want.”

              “…What?”

              “Can you hear me?” Ryder half shouted, hearing her own voice echo off the mountain face beside them.

              “Yes…sort of.” Someone was laughing, she sounded asari. Cora had plenty of asari friends.

              “Who are you with? Are you on speaker?”

              “No. Can’t… hol…what’s going on--?”

              Ryder decided to try and take advantage of the connection before it again was lost, “Um…We locked ourselves out of the Nomad and my underwear is in there. I have to meet Addison and I have no underwear. Can you…by any chance…drive a slim-jim, or a wire….or the spare key…out here?”

              “Underwear? Can you…” Cora paused, the sound of breathing, then a hissing of static over the connection. Voices distantly, “Get another pair?” Cora just sounded confused.

              Ryder looked down at the time. That was a fair idea, if she rushed she might be able to make it. Grab panties and shoes from her hotel room. She’d be sweaty from walking, but Addison had to be used to that. She was the Colonial Affaires director, she had to be used to people meeting with her following work outside. Ryder wanted to ask Cora again to drive out, but the signal dropped a second time. Between the wind and interference, it was unlikely Cora had any idea of what she was talking about. Ryder hadn’t called her on the emergency line, so she shouldn’t be fretting over it at least.

              The two walked quietly, Ryder eventually reaching up to take Vetra’s hand who obliged her, walking slowly to let barefooted Ryder pick her way over rocky terrain, “You okay?”

              “I used to be barefoot all of the time as a kid.”

              “Human feet seem a little softer than turian feet. And I have shoes on.”

              “Eh…yeah probably.”

              Vetra shook her head, “You meet Addison. I’ll get the spare keys. And we never speak about this again.”

              “I’m down. Sounds like a plan. I’ll handle Cora and grab shoes and stuff from my hotel room.”

              But walking on Kadara raised it’s own challenge, especially for non-turian feet. And for as much as she walked around barefoot as a child, Kadara rocks took a fair bit longer to navigate than Citadel corridors. By the time they arrived at the outpost, windblown and dirty in their civilian clothes, Ryder was ten minutes late for her meeting.

Three missed calls from Addison. She swore, feeling the wind kicking up and holding her skirt down to her thighs. Her hair was halfway free of its ponytail from the gusts which whipped across the desert.

              Grains of sand bit into her legs, and she did her best not to scowl.

              “Sara Ryder!” The familiar strut of the Initiative’s Colonial Director, the unhappy marching strut, “I’ve been calling you the last fifteen minutes!” The follow up to that sentence was carried off by the wind, but Ryder sensed the annoyance in her.

              “Sorry…got…tangled up.” Ryder held her skirt down. _Fucking wind._ This was why she didn’t wear skirts.

              “Tangled up?” Addison seethed, jaw clenched. At that, Vetra peeled off, muttering an apology and that she had to check on something.

              Addison handed Ryder a datapad, presumably something for her to read, which she took with one hand and used her other to desperately hold her skirt down. Thunder rumbled in the distance. Storms weren’t uncommon as this was apparently the planet’s short wet season— but they always were windy.

              “Where have you been?” The woman shouted over the wind, her short dark hair blowing back.

              “Got stranded.”

              “Stranded?” Addison eyed her up and down, “Where are your shoes?”

              “Uh. Here.” She held up one of her pumps, carefully balancing it in her hand with the datapad.

              “Where’s your other shoe?”

              Maybe if she didn’t answer Addison wouldn’t press. “Ryder.” She said again, calling over the wind as the sky darkened, “Where is your other shoe? Why do you look like you just ran around the desert?”

              “Um. We had a technical issue out there. It’s handled.” She forgot what she was doing for a minute—raising her hand from her skirt to point briefly in the general direction and promptly having the wind blow the fabric straight up around her waist. She scrambled to push it down. Addison’s jaw tightened.

              “Ryder. Stop at your room. Get shoes. And pants. Walk. Now.”

              Ryder muttered a: “Yes, ma’am.” Still holding her skirt while she listened to Addison talk about shipments and new farming methods being developed now that Kadara’s water was free of the sulfur. At least the outpost building was free of the wind. The floor was cool, smooth and soothing beneath her sore feet. Ryder felt a pang of guilt, knowing she was tracking dirty footprints onto the spotlessly clean steel. Addison followed her to the door of her hotel room. Ryder punched in the keypad code and attempted to swing the door open, catching it hard on the security chain which had been fastened.

              “Cora?!” Ryder shouted into the opened crack. Addison folded her arms. She really wished Addision wasn’t here, maybe it wouldn’t be quite as grating if she hadn’t accidently flashed her, but what was done was done. _Next time follow Vetra’s advice and don’t screw around before the meeting_. The sound of scrambling footsteps, “Cora…I kind of need to get into there…” She called again, seeing the exasperation on Addison’s face.

              _This isn’t my fault, at least._ Ryder thought, staring at the floor but feeling the Director’s glare upon her.

               “Coming! Coming!” Cora shouted. The bathroom door flew open and Cora, dressed in a blue fleece robe, undid the chain, “Ryder, have you heard of knocking? Aren’t you in a meeting? Jeez.”

              “This is my room!” She protested, glancing at her second in command. Wet hair, plastered to her forehead, barefoot with dripping legs—she must have been in the shower.

              An asari woman, wrapped in a towel, poked her head out of the bathroom and crept out the door. Cora startled when she made eye contact with Addison, “D-director. My apologies.” She gripped the edges of the robe and pulled it tighter over her chest. The asari spun on her heel and retreated back to the bathroom.

              “Nice robe—wait, that’s my robe!” Cora crossed her arms over her chest.

              “I was in the tub. I thought…there was an emergency.” She was far more awkward than Ryder had ever seen Cora behave, probably because Addison was there.

              The Director pressed her lips together, an awkward silence as the woman glanced between the _Tempest_ crewmates. “Pathfinder. Lieutenant. Fifteen minutes. Get yourselves together and get in my conference room. Late again, Ryder, and I’ll have you left at the port _after_ confiscating your shoes.”  Addison snarled and Ryder wondered if that was a credible threat.

              “M-me?” Cora was never flustered. Maybe she’d been sleeping in the tub and they’d startled her awake.

              “Yes. I didn’t know you were in here and I’d love to go over your reports. Ryder has already made me wait so I might as well get both of you. Get yourselves together and meet me in the conference room.” Addison hissed. Cora acted like she was going to stutter out something else but Addison was already gone, marching down the hallway.

              “Yes, ma’am!” Ryder shouted after her, but returned her attention to Cora: namely that Cora had stolen her robe: “Can you…return that to me…when you’re done with it?”

              “Sure.” And then a few moments of awkwardness, Cora standing in the doorway of Ryder’s hotel room, effectively blocking her.

              “Can I get into my room?” Though the room was probably more Cora’s now than Ryder’s considering she’d been the one there the past hours. Maybe she should have thought that through—Ryder would have loved a second round with her girlfriend after her meeting if she hadn’t been bunking with her XO here.

              “Yeah…sorry.” And she could swear Cora was blushing, “Are you okay? What were you calling me about.”

              “I lost my underwear…and one of my shoes…More like left it…locked in the Nomad… Don’t worry about it…”

              “What the hell happened to you?”

              “Can I use the shower fast?”

              “Sure.” An asari opened the door. A pretty, tall woman. A commando based on the way she was dressed, “All yours. Thanks for letting me barrow it, Harper. I should probably get out of the way.”

              “Y-yeah. Janae, this is Ryder.”

              “Nice too meet you, Ryder, sorry to run.”

              “Uh. Hi. Sorry I’m a mess right now.” Ryder sidestepped around her, getting into the bathroom and closing the door. Just in case Addison was going to carry out her threat, Ryder decided that she was best to hurry up and get herself ready.

              The tub was filled with foamy bubble bath, water splashed on the floor. _You’re cleaning that up, Cora._ She thought, ripping the last fresh towel off of the rack and turning on the shower, _two minutes. Fastest turnaround Addison’s ever seen._  

              “You better not steal my robe!” She shouted through the door.

               

\---

Hmm wonder what Cora was doing. Her chapter (taking place at the same time) is coming soon on my other fic.

Thanks for putting up with all my zany chapters, guys  : ) Hope y’all enjoyed.

             


	12. The Camping Chapter

Hey guys : )

I still am OBSESSED with Andromeda and plan on updating all of my fics.

(3 other Eos Nuggets are in the works). Thanks for all the love this fic has been getting on tumblr and elsewhere despite it not being active in a while.

Enjoy < 3

 

**The Camping Chapter**

              “Camping?” Cora sat in the galley, drinking what Ryder knew was asari tea from the pungently floral smell of the beverage. She set the mug and drew her legs up on the bench, “Is that...” Cora glanced back and forth, “Code…for something?”

              “What?” Ryder squinted at her XO before realizing what she was getting at, “No, no. It’s just camping.”

              “So it’s not like….you smuggled a bunch red sand accidently or something?”

              “Cora? What? I’m talking about camping.” A pause between them, “Why red sand?”

              “I don’t know.” Cora rolled her eyes, “You’re you.”

              “Just a P.S.A.—I have actually never _blasted the sand.”_

              “That’s good. It’s bad for you.” Cora took another long drink, amusement in her voice, “’Blasted the sand’, is that what the Alliance calls it?”

              “I donno’.” Ryder felt like this conversation was going to dig one of them a proverbial grave, and Cora usually was able to talk circles around her and get her to trip up. She was wickedly _smart._ That was why Alec liked her, “Do I look like a sand blaster to you?”

              “Sand-blaster. See that is the C-Sec one. I don’t know. What does a sand blaster look like?”

              “You’re the asari commando, you should know. Come to think—I heard sand blasters are usually humans that start thinking too much like asari…” Okay, that was bad. But it was the best she had at the moment.

Cora smirked, “I think you mean asari that think too much like humans. Confusion is one of the symptoms, Ryder—”

“You’re the one who brought up red sand in the first place.”

“Ryder you are the worst about letting things drop.”

“Are you camping with us?”

              “As in outside?”

              “As in Liam and I have a campfire set up and hung tarps and Peebee is making coffee over the fire.”

              “Where outside?” Ryder stepped out the galley door, pointing to her room where she’d left the doors open. The orange glow of the fire was visible from beyond the window.

              Cora stood heaved a sigh. Ryder heard the sound of her knees cracking when she straightened her legs. She padded over on bare feet and poked her head out the door, “You guys are camping thirty feet from the ship?”

              “We weren’t going to sleep in the middle of the badlands.” Ryder scoffed, “It was my brother’s idea.”

              “Why is she making coffee at night?” Cora asked. Satisfied that Cora had seen the set up, Ryder pressed the console on her wall that blacked out the windows. _No need having everyone look inside my room while they’re out there._

              Cora sounded tired. Ryder figured she needed a night off. And to come spend a few moments by the campfire she retired to bed, even if it were to keep Cora from putting herself back to work on what was supposed to be her shore time.   

              “We don’t have anything else that Peebee could make over a fire.” Ryder leaned her hip against the wall, “Cora. You and I both know if I leave you here you’re going to find a way to send more reports to Tann. He doesn’t need this many reports.”

              “Y-yeah…But Addison.”

              “But it’s a night off?”

              “But our night offs never end well, Ryder.” Cora stated, though Ryder saw the temptation. When she glanced toward the fire again, beyond the now frosted windows, Ryder knew she had her. 

               “And…I take responsibility for most of that. There’s a fire. Come on. I know you’ve never had a real campfire for just fun.” Ryder pressed.

              “I…I have…”

              Ryder stared at Cora from under her eyelids, “On the cargo ship?”

              Cora sighed, “No. Got me there.”

              “Too bad we don’t have marshmallows.” Ryder said, “Come on. Take a night off.”

              Cora snatched her tea mug and followed Ryder to the airlock. The door made its hydraulic hiss and slid open before Ryder was able to reach the panel for herself. “Ryder!” Liam and she both startled as he nearly walked in to her, “Oh good, Ryder. Vetra is diving me _bloody insane_.”

              She rolled her eyes. Vetra hadn’t texted her anything complaining about Kosta, “Why? What’s she doing?”

              He stuttered, sidestepping to lean against the door jamb. _Yep. He and Scott have been hittin’ the sauce._ “T-trying to catch herself on fire….On _fire,_ Ryder.”

              Ryder blinked. Cora was able to formulate a response to the statement far better than Ryder was able to, “How?”

              Liam held up his two forefingers, making a gap of only an inch between them, “She’s this close to the fire.”

              Ryder, still not quite sure what to say about it, followed him outside. It reminded her of summer nights spent on Earth with her mother and brother. The way the cold air bit her hands and face, despite the jacket and scarf. Kadara got cold at night.

              “She’s stressing me out to watch.” Liam continued.

              “She’s a turian on a cold night.” Ryder laughed, mostly at his antics. Turians didn’t like the cold. They liked to be warm and toasty beneath their armor. And Vetra was no exception to that generalization. Biology didn’t have a lot of wiggle room for temperature zones.

              The heat of the fire was a welcome relief from the cold air around them. Ryder was glad to march up to it, and when she did, she saw Vetra. She suffered from the same affinity toward business as Cora did. Liam leaned down to nudge her shoulder, “You’re going to burn your eyelashes off.”

              “I don’t have eyelashes.” Vetra, curled on her side in a ball with the backs of her bare hands close to the fire. Her face was just as near, the heat and glow casting on her, “I have plates.” She drew her knees near the fire as well, effectively encircling the source of warmth.

              “Hey, babe.” Ryder sank down beside her, sitting herself down on the Kadara sand and knowing that the reddish stains from the dirt here were going to be hell to get out of her standard issue white pants the next time she did laundry.

              “Mmm. Hi, Ryder.”

              “You asleep?”

              “Partially.”

              “Plates warm?”

“Mmhmm.” Ryder patted her shoulder, feeling the heat cast by the fire upon her clothing. Almost uncomfortable on the pads of Ryder’s own fingers. The campfire antics had long since quieted. Her crew was tired. Peebee yawned while she poked at the fire with some piece of Helius flora that looked like a furry stick— _as long as Suvi doesn’t try to lick that_. Scott sprawled on his side beneath the hastily hung tarp. It snapped in the breeze. Ryder wondered if it would stay up through the night.  

              “I’m baking this close, V.”

              Vetra yawned, “It’s a cold night.”

              “Want to…” Well, shit. This camping had been Peebee and Scott’s idea, and she was trying to be supportive, but she was suddenly tired. Her limbs felt wobbly and the idea of clean clothes and lying down on her bed under her warm blankets was very tempting, “Go inside?”

              “Sara!” Scott protested, raising his head for only a moment, “We just got out here!”

              Cora sat herself stiffly on a rock, texting someone on her omnitool. She snapped her head up, “Are we packing it in?”

              “No. Because I haven’t made coffee.” Peebee was in the midst of trying to figure out how to pick up the kettle which she’d placed against the fire and was now too hot to touch. She nudged at it with the flimsy plant matter.

              Vetra looked like she was closer to starting to snore than entertaining doing anything. Cora hugged herself, “It’s cold out here.”

              Somewhere an argument between Gil and Liam cropped up over movies,

              _“Horror movies always have terrible endings. Don’t watch them.”_ Liam snorted.

              _“You watch everything. Besides, Aliens didn’t end that badly—”_

_“That’s action. Not horror.”_

Cora was smiling and looking down at her text messages. Suvi had joined Peebee with another one of the fuzzy branch things and the two of them were trying to move the kettle, “Think we can sneak off?”               

              Vetra settled herself up on her elbows, looking around, “I think Scott’s out for the night and those ladies have it under control.”

              “Let’s bounce.” Ryder stood up, reaching her hands down to unsuccessfully help haul Vetra to her feet.

              The two made their way back to the _Tempest_ , and surprisingly no one called after them. Ryder attributed it to the long weeks and little rest they’d had.

              “You smell like soot.” Ryder said. Vetra rumbled.

              “You too. Your hair is full of it.” Ryder scowled and shook her head before punching in the code for the airlock.

              “Meet back in ten?” Vetra yawned, mandibles flaring out. Normally Ryder would have suggested they shower together. But she was just so damn tired, and cold, and wanting her sweatpants.

              “Sounds good.”

              They both ended up on Ryder’s couch, Ryder fiddling with the remote to operate the screen which projected on her wall, “Those windows are blacked out, right?” Vetra pulled her knees up. Ryder leaned against the arm of the couch, a pillow tucked behind her back. Somehow they always ended up on the couch rather than in her bed, but Ryder didn’t complain.

              “Yeah. They are. Nobody can see it.”

              “Good.”

              Vetra pressed her lips against Ryder’s, rough tongue flicking over her human girlfriend’s teeth, “V.” Ryder murmured when they broke, returning the gesture by pressing her forehead against Vetra’s and rubbing along the back of her neck.

              _“Sara.”_

              Vetra nuzzled into her neck and sighed. Ryder smiled down at her, _damn she loved this turian,_  “Tired? Cold?”

              “Both.”

              “Me too.” Ryder pulled the blanket which had angled around Vetra’s waist up over her carapace, pressing her own body close, “Better?”

              “Yeah.” She got better sleeps on this damn couch with Vetra curled up next to her than she did alone in her bed.

              “What are we watching?” Vetra leaned heavier upon her, “May I?”

              “Of course you may. You don’t have to ask.” Ryder managed to drape her leg over the back of the couch and Vetra settled her head down on her stomach. She rested her hand on her fringe as she always did. The couch was long enough for Vetra to stretch out, even with Ryder lying upon her stack of pillows, “I thought you were picking tonight?”

              Vetra’s talons gripped gently on her hip, “Not making your legs tingle, am I?” They adjusted their position for a moment. Ryder scooting further down so she was in a position where she could fall asleep, and Vetra had a pillow between her head and Ryder’s belly.

              “No, you’re fine.”

              “Didn’t you want to watch those movies? About the kid with magic powers? Sid likes those.”

              Ryder let out a laugh, “Harry Potter?”

              “Yeah. Him.”

              “Sid watched those?”

              “Sid loved those. I haven’t seen them though. She watched them with the lady who used to keep an eye on her when I worked late.” Vetra had her eyes closed, so Ryder doubted she would make it through the first scene of a movie, let alone to the end. Nonetheless she was grinning and scrolling through their movie library.

              “This is the first one. Everyone loves these.”

              “Mmm…Can’t wait.”

              “You are so tired.” Ryder laughed.

              But Ryder herself didn’t even remember watching the beginning of the movie, only waking up with Vetra still sound asleep on her belly, during the end credits to turn off the projector and turn her face back into the pillow.

              She ran her hand over Vetra’s head again, her mandibles twitched in her sleep, eyelids quivering, “You…okay?”

              “I’m fine. Scoot down a little.” Ryder whispered, and Vetra obliged her, “Bed?”       

              “Bed. Yeah.” Vetra repeated. But neither of them moved, and before she had time to give it any more thought, Ryder was asleep again.

___

Thanks for reading : ) I struggled with the ending for so long i just had to pound out something and post it. I'm not completely happy with it but I hope y'all enjoyed ! COming soon: another wonky flashback beast of a chapter. 


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